Voltron Legacy : Lion Force - Season 1
by WarzonePrez
Summary: Haggar, under the watchful eye of Lord Kanji, continues her plans to conquer Arus and destroy its legacy once and for all. The only thing in her way : The Voltron Force! Join Daniel, Vince, Marina, Larmina and Hunk as they continue to protect Arus from Haggar's monsterous robeasts!
1. Intro

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

[ A view of Castle Doom is shown. ]

_Evil is back._

[ Scenes of Witch Haggar laughing and casting magic. ]

_The sinister Witch Haggar has returned with a dark energy that can destroy the universe._

[ Shots of Daniel, Larmina, Vince, Hunk and Marina are shown ]

_Their only hope, the Voltron Force : a team of five heroic pilots that control five awesome robot lions._

[ Various robeasts, including the Predator Robeast are shown attacking ]

_When Haggar's monstrous robeasts attack…_

[ Scenes of the lions coming together show ]

…_the lions come together to form Voltron, Defender of the Universe!_

[ Voltron is shown standing tall next to the castle of Lions. ]


	2. Episode 101

_**Author's Note** \- Welcome to an all new series based off my Voltron Legacy series! I decided that each team needed its own story, and I plan to deliver! KA fans will be happy to see plenty of KA moments, as Allura is pregnant with their second child! I hope you all enjoy the continuing story of our team on Arus as they continue to fight against Witch Haggar and the rest of the Drule Supremacy!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Let's Voltron" by Swizz Beatz_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Marina DeVille and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 1 : "Predatorial"**

"So, tell us again why we're here?" Daniel asked with a confused look on his face. Sitting next to him in the Academy classroom were his fellow pilots, Vince, Larmina, and Marina.

"You're here, Ensign, to continue your training to become a full fledged pilot in the Galaxy Alliance," Ginger replied. "I didn't get to be one of the Alliance's top pilots by just looking pretty."

"You gotta admit, she IS pretty hot," Daniel whispered to Vince. Lance came walking up behind him and gently smacked him in the head from behind.

"What Lieutenant Ellington is trying to say, class," Lance said, "is that she's had a lot of experience, not just at the helm of various fighters and transports, but at piloting Voltron Vehicles."

"But what about me?" Marina asked. "With all due respect, I passed all my flight training."

"But you didn't pass MY training, Lieutenant," Lance replied. "You've already seen how different flying a lion is from flying a fractal. And before I want you solo behind Red, I want you to experience the kind of training the rest of us had."

"Understood, Commander," Marina replied. "I meant no disrespect."

"None taken, Lieutenant," he replied.

"Our first simulator training will be at 0900 tomorrow morning," Ginger said. "Hope to see you all there! Dismissed." The four got up and left the classroom. Once gone, Ginger went to pick up her paperwork when the door closed, and she heard the lock latch. She turned her head to see Lance's hand on the door, with the most evil grin on his face.

"Alone at last," Lance said, raising an eyebrow.

"I take it this discussion can't wait until later," she said. He walked up to her.

"Nope," he replied, then began kissing her passionately, leaning her over the desk.

* * *

Lord Kanji patiently sat on his throne, pondering the recent events. As he did this, Witch Haggar entered. A frown formed on his face.

"Haggar," he said, "why do you come to me?"

"You already know the answer to that, my lord," she replied. "You yourself have seen the destruction, and are confused at our defeat."

"I'm upset that you were unable to retrieve the artifact," he said with displeasure. "You knew as well as I did what it contained. I was even more upset that the various generals and royals in service of the Supremacy were incompetent in their actions, and essentially worked against one another, allowing Voltron to be victorious against us!" he slammed his fist down. "This is the type of failure I warned the Drule Council about. I thought I had made myself clear when I made an example of Viceroy Throk. But apparently I need to be a little bit clearer."

"I pray I am not the example for your wrath, my lord," she replied. "But before you decide that, or even think about the defeat on Earth, perhaps you would like to hear about our most recent plans to destroy Voltron and take over Planut Arus!"

"You mock me," Kanji said. "You still think that I am a fool sitting on a throne like the late King Zarkon." His eyes narrowed as they stared into hers. He did not flinch. "I am no fool."

"I apologize, my lord," she replied. "I only mean to discuss our progress on perfecting the Dark Nexus."

"Channeling your power into a single chunk of pure corrite-infused lason," he said. "I'm well aware of your experiments, and though I sense you have reached a desired result, you question yourself as to whether it could be powerful enough to stop the spirits that drive the mighty robot to victory against you over and over again."

"You honor me with your insight, my lord," she replied. "I assure you, my doubts will soon be eliminated when the prototype wastes Voltron!"

"Prototype?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," she replied. "While I have a beast in construction, ready to receive the perfected specimen I have created, I created some test crystals to use in a little side project." He stared at her intently, a few moments of silence passing.

"The Predator," he said. "Yes, that would make a perfect trial. Even in failure, it may have the capability of eliminating the Arusian forces. Proceed with your plans. But be warned…if the beast you have in the works fails, you WILL be the example I use in front of the Coincil."

"Yes, my lord," she replied with a bow. She left the throne room, and he sat back in the throne contemplating.

"I think it's time to have a little talk with King Bhorn," he said to himself. "I'm done playing games with the Council."

* * *

"I thought we were done with training," Daniel said as the four walked into the castle. "I mean, we all have official ranks, right?"

"I kinda get where Lance is coming from, though," Marina replied. "I know you guys have been behind the controls of the lions longer than I have, but piloting these things does take a bit of practice."

"I just wish they would stop putting us in the simulators," Daniel said.

"I kinda like the simulators," Vince said.

"I wish there was more hand to hand combat," Larmina said.

"You can always transfer to Terra," Marina said. "I hear their Voltron Gladiators are very hands on."

"Phht," Larmina replied. "I met Aidan Dalloway. I think I'll pass." Marina laughed. Suddenly, the alarms went off.

"There aren't any training exercises planned," Vince said.

"That means trouble," Daniel said. "Let's get to castle Control!" The four ran down the halls and through the doorway to Castle Control.

"Guys," Pidge said, "scanners are showing an incoming vessel. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like a robeast coffin!"

"Then we better take to the skies," Daniel replied.

"I'm right with ya," Hunk said, turning from Pidge to look at the four.

"To the lions!" Daniel shouted. Pidge hit the button, and the center console rose into the air to reveal the chute to Black Lion. The five ran to their chutes and dove for the swings. Pidge turned back to the main console and began powering up the castle defenses. Keith and Allura ran in.

"What's the situation, Pidge?" he asked.

"Robeast coffin," he replied. "I just sent Daniel and the others to investigate."

"This is gonna be Marina's first time truly solo," Keith said. "Think she'll be alright?"

"She'll be fine," Allura replied, taking his arm. "I know it. Right now, we need to get on the castle defenses."

"Oh no you don't!" Nanny shouted, running in. "It's one thing for you to be flying around in a Lion and getting knocked around, and so help your father, I don't approve of young Larmina doing so as well! But you need to think about that baby of yours, and little Alexander as well!" Allura let out a sigh.

"You know she means well," Keith said. Allura gave him a look.

"Listen to your loving husband!" Nanny shouted, then led her out of the Control Room. "You're a queen! You should be sitting in your room, relaxing, and letting everyone wait on you hand and…." The doors closed.

"You enjoyed that way too much," Pidge laughed.

"I'm grabbing my men and heading up to the turrets," Keith said. "Keep on the shields, and patch Daniel's communication to my station, got it?"

"Yes, sir," he replied with a slight laugh. Keith ran out of the control room.

* * *

"I'm picking up a strong Haggarium signature several thousand meters south of here," Vince said.

"If it's another of Haggar's beasts," Daniel said, "We'll be ready for 'em." The lions turned slightly south and proceeded with caution. "Stay in a tight formation. I don't want us getting picked off." Suddenly, Red was knocked out of the sky.

"AH!" Marina shouted as Red hurtled to the ground and skidded to a stop. The other lions scattered before the robeast took another swipe at them.

"Is that what I think it is?" Daniel asked.

"It ain't dinner," Hunk replied.

"But how?" Larmina shouted, avoiding another swipe, then firing Blue's Frost Laser at it. "I thought Voltron destroyed that thing. Again!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Marina asked, trying to restart Red's systems and get it to its feet.

"It's the Serpent Beast," Larmina replied. "It was part of the Predator Robeast. We destroyed that thing. It doesn't make sense."

"Whether it makes sense isn't the problem," Daniel said, avoiding it. "The problem is it's here, and we gotta stop it!"

"That thing has a much higher Haggarium level than last time, Daniel," Vince said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that thing has a…"

"Dark Nexus?" Daniel asked. "Not the news I wanted to hear. Marina, are you back online?" Red got to its feet, and took off as the beast tried to take another swat at them.

"I'm OK," she replied. "I need to work on my evasion. Controls are still kinda sluggish."

"Keith," Daniel said, "we need to form Voltron, but if this thing has a Dark Nexus, I want to conserve power. Could you buy us some time?"

"My men and I are on the defenses," he replied. "Bring it closer to the castle, and we'll keep it on the defensive."

"Alright team, we're gonna do one better," Daniel said. "everyone keep formation, but spread out. Lead it to the castle. We're going to converge above the castle and begin the formation sequence."

"Is that a good idea?" Vince asked.

"Keith will be able to hold it back," Daniel replied. "Once we finish forming Voltron, we'll come back and force it into retreat."

"Let's do it then," Larmina shouted. The lions took off for the castle, the robeast in pursuit. They flew at the castle, then took off into the air, tightening formation.

"Open fire!" Keith ordered, and the castle's lasers opened fire on the robeast. The lasers did little damage, but kept the robeasts from pursuing the lions.

"Activate Interlocks!" Daniel shouted. "Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"

"Let's go Voltron Force!" they all shouted. The lions flew above the castle in formation, then came together as the energy field took hold. The Lions converted as the formation sequence began.

"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron's eyes lit up as the energy field dissipated. Red and Green clanked together, and the lions let out a mighty roar as Voltron powered up. Voltron landed in front of the beast.

"Let's take 'em down!" Daniel said, poised and ready to strike. The beast wrapped its tail around Voltron's left leg and yanked it, causing Voltron to fall backwards to the ground.

"Or not," Hunk said.

"Get us back on our feet," Daniel ordered. Voltron sat up, and the robeast went to strike. Voltron swung his right arm and punched the robeast, forcing it to release its grip. Voltron get back to his feet.

"Don't let it bite us!" Vince said. "You remember what the venom did to the systems last time."

"Then let's get it by the tail," Daniel said.

"I'm on it," Marina said as Red reached down and grabbed the robeast's tail. It tried to wind back and snap, but Voltron yanked it and swung it around. Voltron then pulled it hard, whipping it into the air and into the distance.

"We gotta go after it!" Larmina shouted as Voltron took off running.

"Then we need to neutralize it fast," Daniel replied. "Form Blazing Sword!" Red and green clanked together and pulled apart, forming the Blazing Sword. Red held it high, and Green let out a mighty roar. Voltron ran in the direction of the beast and went to strike, but it dodged the swing, allowing the sword to embed itself into the ground. The beast turned and hit Voltron, knocking it to the ground again.

"It's power levels are off the charts!" Vince said. The beast towered over them, ready to strike.

"Brace for impact!" Daniel shouted. Just then, the beast released Voltron. A coffin crashed down, and the beast went inside. It took off into the air and disappeared. "What the heck?"

"Why did it just leave?" Marina asked.

"It looked like it had us," Vince said. "It's almost as if…."

"It was toying with us," Daniel finished. "Something tells me this was some kind of test run."

* * *

The five came out of the chutes and back into Castle Control.

"I saw what happened from the monitors," Keith said, Pidge close behind him. "Are you alright?"

"We're alright for the most part," Daniel replied. "But that robeast seemed a lot more powerful this time around. It hit us pretty hard, and then it took off."

"A tactical retreat?" Keith asked.

"Looked more like some sort of test run," Vince replied.

"Pidge," Keith said, "Keep an eye out for any more disturbances like that. I want to know what the Drules are up to."

"You got it," Pidge replied, going over to the main controls.

"Daniel," Keith said, "I want you to remain on alert in case there's another attack. I want you and Vince to assist Pidge in determining what that thing was, and more importantly, what the Drules are testing."

"Understood," Daniel replied. Keith and the others left the control room, and Daniel and Vince walked up to Pidge to fill him in on the battle, and try to figure everything out.

* * *

Keith walked into the bedroom and found Allura sitting on the bed.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing," Allura replied. "I take it Voltron was able to stop the robeast?"

"It's more complicated than that," Keith said. "It looks like the Predator Robeast may return."

"We've defeated it before," she said.

"Daniel seems to think it has a more powerful energy source," Keith replied. "I'm having him and Vince work with Pidge to determine what we're up against."

"In the meantime," Allura said, "I've been taking everything Nanny has been saying to heart."

"Oh?" he asked. She nodded.

"After all," she said, "I am a queen, and I have been on my feet a lot lately. I feel that the baby and I need to relax. And as Nanny suggested, I think I deserve a foot rub."

"is that an order, Your Highness?" Keith asked with a smirk.

"Nanny's orders," she said with a smirk as well. She put her feet up on the bed, and he came over and sat at the foot of the bed, and massaged her feet. She laid back, closed her eyes, and smiled. "You're absolutely right, Keith. I do need to listen to Nanny." They both laughed.


	3. Episode 102

**_KathDMD -_**_ I knew you'd like the lance and Ginger bit. I soooooooo wanted them getting used to their new positions. (Pun FULLY intended!) I definitely loved the nanny bit, and wanted to use it as a platform to promote the "Allura's Pregnant" angle. And yeah, I hinted at what was to come with Aidan dalloway nod. Even larmina knows he's a smartass. This next episode is ten times more intense. Grab the Ciroc, love..._

**cubbieBlueMako - **I am overly excited to bring my Lion Force to life for the KA fans to enjoy! I absolutely loved the fact i got to work in the nanny angle, as I mentioned to KathDMD. However, read the next ep with cauthin...and don't kill me yet!

_**selena devargo -** Not quite a new robeast, but an old one coming back! At least as a side project. This episode is intense though, so the DWC needs to arm itself with Vodka!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __I'm glad everyone loved the fact that i am splitting up the stories! Lion Force is gonna be spectacular with the arc i have set up, but this episode, as i said above, is INTENSE. Be warned before reading it. Allura's loyalty and feelings for Keith are going to be pushed to their limits!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"BANG BANG" by Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 2 : "Wait A Minute"**

"I would be honored if yourself and Queen Allura would meet with our delegate from Drule," Ambassador Hazar said. "Perhaps at some point, I, too, could come to visit Arus. I would like to think that the people of the Drule Confederation could live in peaceful coexistence with all planets of the Galaxy Alliance."

"It would be an honor for us as well, Ambassador," Keith replied. "Ambassador Coran has told us a lot about you. How soon would your delegate be arriving? I'm sure he and I will have much to discuss."

"It's not a 'he', Admiral," Hazar said. "The delegate I am sending is a close friend of my sister, Dorma. Her name is Phage. She is a representative from one of our southern continents, and has been pro-active in a multitude of humanitarian causes, including the study of re-colonization. As you know, Drule was overcrowded from the beginning, and the Alliance has been trying to assist us with finding a world to ease the overpopulation."

"Indeed," Keith replied. "I'm looking forward to their arrival."

"Thank you, Admiral," Hazar said. "Hopefully you and I could meet in person in the future." He saluted Keith before ending the transmission. He turned to Coran. "I never thought I'd see the day we'd be welcoming a Drule representative to Arus."

"Ambassador Hazar is no ordinary Drule, Admiral," Coran said. "He is a courageous man, one who led his people against the tyranny of their leaders, and saved his people from the destruction of their homeworld. He and I have spoken many times during my trips to Earth for Alliance summit meetings. He is an exceptionally wise man."

"Let's hope his delegate is just as honorable," Keith replied. "I know the Confederation has not only been a peaceful faction, but has shown support for the Alliance when we needed it."

"And the delegate being a woman," Coran said, "perhaps Allura would get along with her well."

"Let's just hope Daniel doesn't get any ideas," Keith replied. "Or worse, Lance." He laughed about that a little on the inside, but still thought to himself how much trouble Daniel could get himself into.

* * *

Haggar walked over to one of the windows and looked down at a robeast under heavy construction. The beast was in the shape of a wolf….undoubtedly another of Maahox's Predator beasts. She looked on as they carefully installed the Dark Nexus crystal deep inside the beast, but then she heard footsteps enter the room. She turned to see a young Drule woman standing before her.

"Excellent," she said, squinting her eyes. "Indeed, they have done a marvelous job."

"You have no idea, Your Excellency," the woman replied. "I have been made to look exactly like her in every excruciating detail. I'd even fool that Admiral of theirs." Haggar cackled.

"I want you to go with a small fleet to intercept the delegate's shuttle," Haggar ordered. "Once subdued, take her prisoner, and then take her place aboard the shuttle. You will then proceed to Arus and get close to the Voltron Force."

"Indeed," she replied. "What are my orders once I have access to the castle?" she asked. "Do you wish for me to sabotage their control room?"

"No," Haggar replied. "I have an even better plan." She walked over to a shelf and pulled a bottle of liquid from it and brought it to the woman. She placed it into her hands. "This potion was created from flowers on Vega. The flowers are now thought to be extinct, making this potion very rare."

"What does it do?" she asked.

"You will need to gather hair or skin from whom you want it to work on," Haggar said. "Once it is placed in the potion and stirred properly, the scent will place a spell on them that will cause them to become unbelievably attracted to you. If you were to somehow lure the Admiral under the spell, you could make him do anything you want…."

"I understand," she replied with a smile. "Sabotage the Control Room….perhaps even steal one of the lions!" She laughed. "I won't fail you, Your Excellency."

"See that you don't," she replied. "I would like to have a thorough test of the next part of my side project. And with any luck, perhaps it will destroy Voltron before it can even reach full power!" She laughed and cackled maniacally.

Daniel, Larmina and Vince walked out of the castle of Lions to meet the othe

* * *

rs, who had already gathered near the landing pad.

"From what I heard," Daniel said, "Ambassador Hazar's delegate is a woman."

"Why does that surprise you?" Larmina asked.

"I'm not saying it does," Daniel said. "It's just from what little of Drule culture we're aware of, not many women make it into positions of power. I'm actually looking forward to meeting her."

"Don't get any ideas," Larmina replied with a frown.

"Who, me?" Daniel asked with a slight laugh. "Come on, Larmina. When have I ever fallen for a pretty face?"

"Quit now, Daniel," Vince warned. "You're only digging yourself in deeper." They approached the pad, and Keith, Allura, Hunk, Pidge and Marina were already standing there waiting.

"The shuttle should be here right about….now," Pidge said, just as the shuttle came into view. Everyone stepped back a bit as the shuttle touched down. Once the engines powered down, the doors opened, and out stepped a Drule woman, standing at about five foot nine, with long, dark hair, her small and slightly pointed ears protruding from it. She walked up to Pidge.

"I am Phage," she said, shaking Pidge's hand, "delegate from the southern continent of Planet Drule."

"Lieutenant Commander Pidge Stoker," Pidge replied, "Head of Security." She then walked over to Allura and shook her hand as well.

"And you must be Queen Allura Altaire Kogane," she said.

"It's an honor to meet you, Delegate Phage," Allura replied.

"Simply call me Phage," she replied. "Delegates have not formal title." She turned to Keith. "And this must be your husband, Admiral Kogane."

"Prince-Consort of Planut Arus," he replied, taking her hand as well. "perhaps we should continue inside to begin talks?"

"With all due respect, Admiral," she replied, "I've had a rough journey. Would it be alright if I get situated in my quarters before we begin talks?"

"Of course," he replied. "Right this way. Pidge will show you to your…." Without warning, she went weak and fell. Keith was quick to catch her and help her back to her feet. She wrapped her arms around his head as he helped her up, then looking intently into his eyes, carefully released him.

"Thank you, Admiral," she said with a deep breath. "The trip must have taken more out of me than I thought."

"Really," Allura muttered under her breath.

"As I was saying," Keith replied, "Pidge will show you to your quarters."

"Right this way," Pidge said taking the lead. The group followed along with her, all the while she carefully ran several small strands of black hair between her fingers.

* * *

Daniel, Larmina, and Vince sat together in the Lair, talking about their visitor.

"Alright, Daniel, spill it," Larmina said. "What did you think of her?"

"Kinda strange, actually," he replied.

"Going from inappropriate to completely mean?" Vince asked.

"No," Daniel replied, "I mean the whole introduction was strange. She was able to land the fractal easily, yet without warning became all faint."

"It's a long trip from Drule to here in a fractal," Larmina said. "Why would it be weird to be a bit woozy and tired?"

"Because I could have sworn I heard that there were supposed to be escorts flying the fractal," he said. "Don't you find it odd that she arrived alone, piloting it herself?"

"Maybe something happened," Vince replied. "I think you're reading too much into it."

"I still think we should keep an eye on her," he replied. "Something's not right about her."

"You think we should at least let Hunk and Marina in on this?" Vince asked.

"I say we keep it quiet for now," Daniel replied. "I don't want to get the entire castle in an uproar."

"Fine," Larmina replied. "Surveillance mission."

"Agreed," Vince said.

* * *

Phage opened the vial she was given and dropped the hairs into it. The concoction, a blood red, began to boil violently, then turn a bright pink. Once it simmered down, she opened the vial and poured a small amount of the liquid on her fingers and stroked it across the sides of her neck. She placed the stopper back into the top and grinned. At that moment, she heard the an alert at the door.

"Phage," Keiths voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you there?"

"I'll be there in a moment," she said. "I'm just putting away a few things quick." _This is perfect,_ she thought to herself. _He'll come in contact with the potion, and I'll he'll be completely under my control!_ She walked over to the door and opened it. When it opened, he was shocked to see her dressed in a lacy nightgown, with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Um," he stammered, "I wasn't aware you were getting ready to sleep."

"It's not important," she replied. "I was thinking about resting, but if you wish to meet now…"

"I could come back later," he said.

"It's up to you, Admiral," she replied. She then grabbed the back of her neck. "Ow….I think something bit me."

"That's odd," he said, "there aren't many insects the systems can't take care of."

"It felt like a bite," she said. "Could you take a look?" She turned around, and he couldn't help but notice how tightly the nightgown actually clung to her figure. He tried to pay attention to the bite, and looked closely at the back of her neck. He breathed in, and a strange scent filled his nostrils. He suddenly felt extremely drowsy….but he stood up at attention, his eyes dilating. She turned back around, grinning.

"I…don't know what's….happening…" he muttered.

"That's alright," she replied. "You're under my control now, Admiral. And one of the first things I want you to do…." She pulled him down to her and pressed her lips against his, kissing him forcefully. Once broken, she smirked. "You will go to the control room and bring me the keys to the lions."

"Yes," he said. "Anything for you….my queen." She watched him walk away towards the control room, and she laughed to herself as she went back into her room."

* * *

Pidge scanned through the cameras as he did his usual evening security sweep. Suddenly, an image caught his eye, and he left the camera on. There was no audio, but he couldn't believe his eyes, seeing what he saw.

"Keith?" he said to himself as he watched the delegate Phage pull him to her and kiss him madly. "That can't be. I don't understand." He then saw Keith leave, and saw her go back into her room. "I don't know if I should mention this to Allura."

"Mention what?" Allura asked as she walked into the Control Room.

"Nothing!" Pidge said, turning off the cameras. "I mean, I saw some strange things on the nightly scan, but it was probably the space mice. Nothing important." She frowned.

"You better make sure they don't get caught in your traps again," she replied. "They're not pests!"

"I know, I know," he replied, keying in commands at the console. Suddenly, Keith walked in. Allura ran to him, but he walked by, almost ignoring her.

"Keith, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," he said, shaking his head. "I need to check out the diagnostics results from Black. It's still in the repair bay?"

"Yeah," Pidge replied. Keith opened the console and grabbed Black's key….along with the others unnoticed.

"Keith," Allura said, "are you sure youre alright?"

"I need to go see Phage," he replied. "Why don't you go get some rest, Allura." He walked out of the Control Room. She couldn't understand it. He had never been this cold. She turned back to Pidge, now more than ever certain that he knew something.

"If you know something I don't," she scowled. Pidge cringed.

"I don't understand it, Your Highness," he replied, "but when I was looking at the surveillance cameras, I saw Keith walk out of Phage's room….kissing her." Her eyes widened, and she felt her blood boil. But her anger quickly turned to tears. "There has to be an explanation, Allura."

"It doesn't make sense!" she shouted. She ran from the room, headed back to her personal quarters. She dare not find him now…because if and when she did, his very life may be in jeopardy.

* * *

Vince sat on his bed staring at his datapad. As he intently studied it, something caught his eye.

"Daniel," he said, "you need to check this out."

"What is it?" Daniel asked, climbing off his bunk and coming over to him.

"Look," he replied, tapping the pad.

"All Alliance units," a voice said, "we are under attack by a small Supremacy fleet! Please come to our aid! We are being boarded! The delegate from Drule…." The signal went dead.

"And that's not all," Vince said. He tapped a few more things. "I was able to tap into Pidge's security cameras outside Phage's room, and this is what happened." There was no audio, but they saw Keith looking closely at her neck, then watched her turn around and pull him to her, kissing him forcefully.

"It doesn't make any sense," Daniel said. "Keith would never do that to Allura!"

"I know," Vince replied. "It makes me think she's done something to him. And we need to find out." Larmina came running in.

"Guys," she shouted, "My aunt just flipped! She ran crying into her quarters! Apparently, Keith did something…."

"We need to talk to Allura," Daniel said. "We think something happened to keith."

"She won't let me in," she replied.

"Then we have to find Keith," Daniel said. "If we can't get Allura to help, then we have to save Keith ourselves."

* * *

Phage began to carefully slip into a skin-tight uniform, readying herself for the next part of Haggar's plan. She then heard a noise outside her door. When she opened the door, Keith walked inside, the door closing behind him. She grinned when he opened his hand, and all five keys were in it.

"You have done well, my love," she replied. "Perhaps you've earned a little reward…" she allowed the uniform to drop from her body. "…and so have I." She reached up and pulled him in to kiss her, pressing her bare flesh against him, holding his hand and gripping the keys tightly.

_To be continued….._


	4. Episode 103

**_KathDMD -_**_ I love how I left it hanging. But believe me, the cadets will try their best to thwart this plot!_

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_Don't fret! Keith is under a spell, and you know love conquers all, right? 3_

_**selena devargo -** Go pick cubbie off the floor, love. Though I think this episoide will do that for you. :)_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __This is only the beginning! This episode excites me, as does the music for it! I just feel it apply to everything in my life right now..._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Animals" by Maroon 5_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 3 : "The Beast Inside"**

Phage slowly broke their kiss, still looking intently into his eyes, an evil grin appearing on her face.

"I hate to delay such a glorious plan," she said with a laugh, "but it has been quite a long time since I've had this kind of fun." Before she could begin to remove Keith's uniform, the emergency protocols were overridden, and the doors slid open to reveal Daniel, Larmina and Vince.

"Get away from him!" Daniel shouted. She stood up from her crouched position and looked at Daniel, and let out a laugh.

"You think I'm threatened by a band of children?" she asked. Daniel's claws appeared.

"I'm not gonna ask again," Daniel said through his teeth.

"My love," she whispered in Keith's ear, "take care of them. We've got a flight to catch." Keith turned, and his voltcom glowed, two swords appearing in his hands.

"Keith!" Daniel shouted. "What are you doing?"

"You won't harm her!" he shouted, readying his swords.

"She must have him under some sort of spell!" Larmina shouted, forming her staff.

"How very clever, little girl," she replied. "The knowledge will do you no good!" Larmina and Daniel went to attack, but Keith blocked them easily. Even Daniel's speed was no match for Keith's strategic defenses.

"You won't get away!" Vince said, his eyes glowing. He reached out his arms, and wires came from his fingers and patched into the door's panels, tripping the alarms. Phage dodged Daniel and Larmina and tackled Vince out of the doorway. Daniel and Larmina turned to take chase, but Keith tripped Larmina and kicked Daniel in the face, knocking them down. Keith ran after Phage.

"They're getting away!" Larmina shouted.

"Not if I can help it," Daniel replied, speeding off after them. Keith and Phage ran down the halls, heading back towards the repair bays. He turned a corner and saw Hunk.

"Keith," he said, "It's me, Hunk! Put down your voltcom and let's talk." Keith pulled his swords again. "Or….maybe not." He formed his hammer and came at Keith. Keith was able to block it by crossing his swords, then turned and kicked Hunk, sending him into the wall and knocking him out. He and Phage continued to run. As they approached the repair bay, a form appeared behind them.

"Keith!" Allura screamed. He stopped and turned. "Stop! Don't do this!" Something inside him started to fight. He dropped his swords, which vanished, and reached up to hold his head. Phage frowned.

"Filthy royal," she sneered. "You're betrothed is mine, and so is the secret to your precious Voltron!" She fired a blaster at Allura, but Allura ducked back into the room to avoid the blast. Phage pulled Keith into the repair bay and closed and locked the door. She smashed the panel. "Now, take your place in the Black Lion! We will deliver it to Witch Haggar!"

"Yes, my queen," he replied blankly. They climbed the ladder and entered the cockpit of Black.

* * *

Daniel stopped at the door when he saw Allura. Larmina and Vince weren't too far behind.

"Allura," he asked, "did you see Keith and that Drule run by here?"

"They ran into the repair bay," Allura replied.

"He's under some sort of spell," Daniel said. "We'll get him back." Allura gasped. Her anger at what she saw then turned to rage against that Drule woman. "Vince, can you get the door?" Vince ran up to the panel.

"She smashed the controls," he said. "I'll try to override." His eyes lit up, and he connected to the panel. Moments later, the doors whooshed open, and the four of them ran into the repair bay, soon followed by Marina and a bewildered Hunk. As they entered, they saw Black power up.

"That….doesn't look good," Hunk said. Black swung its paw and smashed the scaffolding around it. It then smashed through the closed bay door with its shock tail blast and took off into the air.

"We have to get to the lions!" Marina said.

"That's gonna be a problem," Pidge's voice came from Allura's voltcom. She raised it up.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It seems Keith not only took the key to Black," Pidge replied, "he took all the keys." She gasped.

"I've got an idea," Daniel said. "Larmina, you, Vince and Hunk get to the control room. Marina, you're with me."

"Why me?" she asked as they ran out the door.

"'Cause you're the only one of us that knows how to fly a fractal," he replied with a grin.

* * *

Daniel and Marina ran out of the castle and strait for Phage's fractal. When they climbed aboard, Marina set herself in the pilot's seat and strapped herself in.

"Will it fly?' he asked.

"None of the systems were damaged," she replied. "I'll have no trouble flying it. But here's something odd."

"What's that?" he asked.

"The log," she replied. "It said the vessel came under attack by a small Supremacy fleet." The Fractal took off into the air.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"It means that Phage is…."

* * *

"An imposter?" Allura asked.

"I'm afraid so," Dorma replied via the UltraWave. "The ship's distress beacon was activated yesterday, and onboard transmitters recorded a struggle. Phage has been captured and taken hostage."

"Then who is the imposter?" Larmina asked.

"We don't know," she replied. "But if the Supremacy is behind this, it could mean disaster for the people of planet Drule."

"Don't worry," Allura said, "we'll find her."

* * *

"There it is!" Marina said pointing.

"Good," Daniel replied. "They haven't left Arusian airspace yet. Without my speed boost, Black can't outrun us. I need you to get us in really close. He can't turn to fire without losing speed. We have the advantage."

"Wait a sec," Marina said, "what are you gonna do when we catch up to it?" Daniel hit a button on his voltcom, and an entire suit of black armor, helmet included, surrounded him.

"What do you think I'm gonna do?" he replied. "I'm gonna get my lion back!" The fractal picked up speed, getting closer and closer to Black Lion. Daniel ran to the back of the fractal and opened the bay doors. He held on until they were directly over Black, and he jumped. He fell through the air, nearly missing altogether. He launched his claws which dug into and around Black's ears. He pulled himself in, clawing his way to the access panel. He dropped into the lion and entered the cockpit. Phage turned to face him.

"How did you get in here?" she hissed.

"If I were you," he replied, showing his claws, "I'd be asking how to get out!"

"Remove him!" she shouted. Keith yanked one of the yokes, sending Black into an uncontrollable downward spiral. Daniel did his best to hang on for dear life. He clung to a panel with his claw, swung and kicked Phage. He dropped in front of Keith and wrestled him for the controls.

"Come on, Keith!" he shouted. "Snap out of it!" Keith pulled one of his swords and tried to attack Daniel, but he used his speed to avoid it, and hit one of the buttons on a side panel. The Lion leveled out and crash landed, the passengers getting tossed around. As Phage tried to get up, Daniel managed to swipe the keys and escape. She noticed they were gone, and looked up at the monitor.

"Go after him!" she shouted. "Get the keys back!" He stood up and climbed out of the lion. Daniel ran to the fractal, which landed not far from them.

"Take these back to the castle," he said, handing her four of the keys. "Scramble the lions and meet me back here."

"What about you?" she asked. He placed the key into his voltcom, and it glowed.

"I'm gonna stop Phage," he said. "Right now, it's probably the only way to bring Keith back to his senses!" He ran off. She shook her head and took off for the castle.

* * *

"I think I've figured it out!" Pidge shouted.

"Figured what out?" Allura asked.

"How Phage….er, the imposter….was able to trick Keith into helping her," he replied. "Moments before he went to speak with her, the security cameras show her applying something from that flask onto her skin. I was able to find the empty flask in her quarters and analyze its composition."

"In English, little buddy," Hunk said.

"It's hallucinogenic in nature," he replied. "He's not in love with Phage. He thinks she's Allura!"

"That's insane!" Larmina exclaimed.

"Whatever it is," Allura said, "we need to stop it."

"Fortunately, I have an extract that may be able to counteract the effects," he replied. "But someone is gonna have to get in really close….and that someone has to be…."

"Me," Allura said confidently. "It has to be me."

"Yes," Pidge replied. "It's dangerous. I can't predict how he'll react, and you might put your child at risk."

"He won't hurt me," she said. "I know it." Marina came running into the Control Room.

"We caught up with Black," she said, nearly out of breath. "Daniel managed to get back our keys, but he's still out there fighting Keith and Phage."

"The imposter," Pidge corrected.

"Right," she replied. "We need to get back there with the Lions and help him."

"I'll ride with Larmina," Allura ordered.

"We have another problem," Pidge said as the alarms went off.

"What now?" Larmina asked.

"Something just entered Arusian airspace," he replied, "and it's huge."

"Let's not waste time," Allura said. "Man the castle defenses." Pidge nodded, and they ran to the chutes on their way to the lions.

* * *

"Now it's just you and me," Daniel said. Phage gritted her teeth.

"You may have stopped me from getting away with the lions," she shouted back, "but you won't stop me from taking the Admiral, and putting a stop to Voltron!" She turned to Keith. "Finish him."

"Yes, my queen," he replied. He pulled his swords again. The two ran at one another, and swords met claws. Both swung violently, Keith and Daniel blocking each other's swings.

"You can't let her win!" Daniel shouted.

"I let you take her once, Lotor," he shouted, "I won't let you do it again!"

"Lotor?" Daniel shouted. "You're definitely not seeing strait!" Phage pulled her blaster and fired at Daniel, but Daniel was able to leap backwards, fall, then roll back to his feet, claws at the ready.

"You can't stop us!" she shouted.

"Two against one?" Daniel shouted. "Only the Supremacy stoops to those tactics!"

"But it's a tactic that will end your pathetic life!" Phage shouted. She quickly dove out od the way as a blast hit near them, freezing the ground around them.

"How about we even things up!" Allura shouted as Blue landed nearby.

"You need any help?" Larmina asked.

"Just let me down," Allura replied. "You need to stop that robeast. If it gets here before we can save Keith, we may not get another chance." Larmina nodded. Blue's jaws opened, and Allura hopped out to the ground. Blue then took off to join the others.

"Now we finish this," Phage said.

"Daniel," Allura said, "take care of the imposter. I'll handle Keith."

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked. "He might…."

"He won't," she replied. "That's an order, Ensign." He nodded. He ran quckly at Keith. As Keith went to swing, Daniel dodged it and catapulted over him, drop kicking Phage. As keither swung back up, Alluta hald out her arm and formed a whip. She swung it and lassoed the sword and tugged hard. He pulled with all his might, but she stood her ground.

"Keith," she shouted, "fight it! Look at me! Please open your eyes and look at me!"

* * *

_"Keith!" a voice screamed in his mind. "Please, open your eyes!"_

_ "What?" he asked, holding his head. "What's going on?"_

_ "You're fighting me!" the voice shouted. "Please stop! Open your mind to me!"_

_ "I don't understand," he said. "I can feel you behind me, but I can hear you in front of me. Allura, where are you?"_

_ "I'm right where I always am," she replied, "in your heart and your mind. Don't listen to the voice that commands you. Listen to the heart that loves you." He held his head, struggling against the forces behind him pulling him back._

_ "I need you," he said softly._

_ "Then come to me," she said._

* * *

Keith let out a primal scream as he stopped pulling against her and leaped into the air at her instead, swords at the ready. Allura stood firm, still looking deeply into his eyes as he came down. The swords crossed and landed on her shoulders as he landed in front of her….and stopped. As he inhaled deeply, he felt the confusion slowly begin to lift. Allura grabbed the swords from him and smiled as she looked deeply into his eyes. The swords vanished in her hands, as did her whip.

"Give it up!" Daniel shouted, still dodging blaster fire, trying to get in close.

"The Empire will never give up!" she shouted. Daniel turned quickly to avoid a blast and fired his claws, one hitting its mark, catching her sleeve and pinning her to a nearby rock. As she struggled to break free, she saw Keith approach. "My love, please save me!" He looked at her stoicly, then a sword appeared from his hand, pointed at her throat.

"By order of Her Royal Highness, Queen Allura Orinas Altaire I," Keith said, "I place you under arrest for conspiracy against the crown, kidnapping, theft, and attempted murder." She began to cry. Allura approached, putting her hand on her shoulder, supporting him. She turned her head for a moment.

"We'll handle this," she said. "Get up there and help the others with that robeast." Daniel nodded, and ran for Black.

* * *

"You've seen this thing before?" Marina shouted, just after the Wolf Beast swiped at red, knocking it across the field.

"Yeah," Larmina replied. "It's part of the Predator Robeast, just like the Snake. Only it seems even stronger than last time!"

"Just like the snake, it seems to have a Dark Nexus," Vince said. "It's got the same strange energy readings." Vince fired Green's boomer blades at the beast, but it was able to swipe them out of the way. Then out of nowhere, Black tackled the beast, rolling end over end.

"Daniel!" Larmina shouted. Black kicked the beast off him.

"Miss me?" he asked.

"You wish," she snarked.

"Daniel," Vince said, "it's got a dark nexus."

"Then we should probably take it out," he replied. "You OK, Marina?" Red got up and nodded.

"I'm fine here," she replied. "Going for Voltron?"

"You know it," Daniel replied. "Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"

"Let's go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The Lions flew into the air in formation, and began to transform as the energy field took hold.

"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron's eyes lit up with power as the energy field dissipated. Each lion let out a roar as Voltron came down and landed in front of the beast.

"Here it comes!" Hunk shouted.

"Brace for it!" Daniel shouted back. The wolf beast went to tackle Voltron, but Voltron caught it and held its ground. "We got it!" It suddenly exhaled a blast of energy that knocked Voltron backwards a ways and to the ground. "What was that?"

"Some sort of Haggarium ray," Vince said. "It's short circuiting the systems."

"Is there anything you can do?" Daniel asked.

"I'm gonna try and counteract it," Vince replied, connecting his voltcom to the console. His eyes lit up, and Voltron was hit with a surge of energy.

"We're powering back up!" Larmina shouted.

"Then let's take it out while we have time," Daniel said. "Larmina, hook up!"

"Butt Kick Boost!" she shouted as she connected her voltcom to the console.

"Form Blazing Sword!" Daniel shouted. Red and Green clanked together, then pulled apart, the energy beam forming the sword.

"Form Blazing Katana!" Larmina shouted, and a second sword appeard in Voltron's other hand.

"Here it comes again!" Daniel said. "Now!" Voltron ran at it, and at the beast leaped , Voltron spun around and hit it with a roundhouse kick, than swung the swords, cutting off its ears. As they turned to swing again, a beam of energy hit the beast, and it was pulled up into a robeast coffin, which quickly flew away. They all looked up at where it last was.

"It's gone," Vibnce said.

"Another test?" Daniel asked.

"I have a feeling this isn't the last we've seen of the Predator Robeast," Larmina said worriedly. Voltron put away the swords, and took off back for the castle.

* * *

"Not only did the plan fail," Haggar said as she paced around her lab, "and Malva token hostage, but the Wolf Beast has been damaged!" She walked past Cova, who was skulking around the lab trying to follow her master. "At least it was able to conduct a test run. It did seem to manage to infect Voltron's systems. Perhaps, in time, I will be able to destroy it from the inside out. But for now, I must focus on getting the remaining beasts tested and ready. If the project I have in the work succeeds….it may very well allow me to take back what's mine, and destroy Voltron once and for all!

* * *

Allura walked into their room, and Keith was sitting on the edge of the bed thinking. She walked up to him and sat down next to him, draping an arm around him.

"Pidge told me about what happened," he said. "I think I'm more upset that I let you down than I am about letting my guard down and falling for that trap."

"It wasn't your fault," she replied, rubbing his back lovingly. "You weren't in control."

"That's what makes me furious, Allura," he said. "If I had been more careful, I wouldn't have ended up in that situation. If it wasn't for the cadets and you…."

"You're safe now," she replied with a smile. "We're all safe. That's what matters."

"I won't be happy until I can guarantee your safety," he said. "I don't want something like this jeopardizing the safety of Arus….or us."

"I won't let that happen," she replied, turning him towards him, looking into his eyes. "The imposter is in custody, and you are safe. That's what's important to me." She pulled him in and kissed him. He instinctively kissed her back, passionately.


	5. Episode 104

**_KathDMD -_**_ I agree on how bringing the enemy in between Keith and Allura shows how strong their bond really is, but I have to admit, I'm surprised readers didn't pick up on Daniel's growth (or recklessness), or Marina's usefulness to the team._

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_I knew you would love the ending of that episode. Now to continue the saga and try to find out who this person is...and where the real Phage has gone!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Get ready for more training, and the continuation of the story arc!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 4 : "Another Pretty Spy"**

"How come she gets to fly the lion," Daniel asked, "and we're stuck with Garrison fractals?"

"Because you, Larmina and Vince have had plenty of practice in the lions," Ginger replied, "and Marina hasn't. And after you're adventure the other day, I'm sure you'd appreciate being able to expertly fly other vehicles in the Garrison's arsenal."

"I guess that makes sense," Daniel replied. "I just wish we weren't always stuck on the simulators."

"Speak for yourself!" Vince said excitedly. "I could do this all day!"

"I'm getting used to the controls," Larmina said, "but what's our objective? I mean, we're not just flying around doing nothing, right?" She felt several jolts behind her. "Hey!"

"Weapons systems are working fine," Marina laughed.

"The fractals are not so well equipped, but they do have forward and aft arrays to fend off attackers," Ginger said. "I want you all to practice against Marina in the Red Lion. And Marina, I want you to see if you can skillfully take out all three fractals."

"Three on one?" Marina asked. "That's not too fair."

"Neither are the Drules," she replied. "We used to have to fight off hundreds of robot stingers at a time. For a Voltron pilot, this should be an elementary skill."

"Then I guess we should get practicing, right?" Larmina said. She worked the controls, and her fractal looped around and landed several hits on Red.

"Hey!" Marina shouted. "I'll get the hang of this yet." She pulled the controls, and Red turned and swung a paw, but Larmina was able to dodge it and fly away. Red was then struck from behind by Daniel and Vince.

"You know what?" Daniel said, "I'm kinda getting the hang of this!" Marina looked at the monitors, sirens going off all around her.

"Watch your proximity monitors," Ginger said. "Utilize every weapon in your arsenal." Larmina came in for another pass. Marina hit a few buttons, and after taking a few more hits, suddenly took off strait upwards, and Larmina's fractal collided with Vince's. Red turned and fired a set of missiles, destroying Daniel's.

"Simulator off," the voice of the computer said, and the area around them switched to normal, the simulator cockpits lowering to the ground.

"Well that was a crappy end to a training session," Daniel griped.

"We did kinda fall for that way too easily," Larmina replied.

"Just gonna have to remember that for next time," Vince remarked.

"Alright," Ginger said, "class dismissed. You all did very well for your first time in a fractal. And Marina, good job looking at all of your options. Sometimes your maneuverability can be an asset when piloting, and even moreso when you have a ship as flexible as a lion."

"And speaking of flexible," Lance said with a grin as he entered the room. Ginger blushed.

"I guess we should get going," Marina said. "Thanks again, Lieutenant!" Marina left the room. Lance gave her a devious look.

"This is turning into a habit you know," Ginger said.

"A really great habit," he laughed.

"There's just one small, teeny, tiny thing I need to tell you before you continue," she said.

"You really want me to stop?" he laughed again.

"No," she said, "but….I'm late."

* * *

Keith made his way through the lower passages of the castle to the security area. After putting through his clearance, he walked in to a row of cells, and stopped just short of the cell containing the Drule woman he had placed under arrest. When she noticed him standing there, she lifted her head and met his gaze.

"I think it's time you told us everything you know," he said. "I want to know who you are, who you work for, and most importantly, where the real Phage Dratma is." She slowly got up and walked carefully to the cell door, being careful not to come into contact with the forcefield.

"It's actually painful to see you like this," she replied. "No longer bowing to my every whim…..referring to me as your queen…"

"I asked you a question," Keith said again, angrily.

"I am Malva Nor," she said. "I honestly came here to steal back the lions, and instead a young prince stole my heart."

"Yeah, real touching," he said sarcastically. "You brainwashed me and tried to make me kill my friends."

"It was nothing personal, I assure you," she replied. "Well, except for the kiss. That was rather personal." He gritted his teeth.

"Who are you working for?" he asked. "Witch Haggar? Zarkon?" She laughed.

"Zarkon is dead!" she shouted. "Really, your Alliance's intelligence reports must be absolutely dull if they haven't figured that out."

"Zarkon is gone?" he asked.

"The Supremacy answers to a new leader now," she said. "But it's better I keep that information from you. It might prove useful, and maybe a little fun." She laughed seductively.

"Where is the emissary?" he asked, becoming enraged by her nonchalant attitude. She stopped laughing and looked deeply into his eyes again.

"You think I'm mad, don't you?" she asked.

"I never said that," he replied.

"But you seem to imply it," she said. "Your eyes give you away, Admiral. Don't think I don't know about those beautiful eyes of yours."

"I said where is she?" he snapped. She took a deep breath.

"For all I know," she replied, "she could be a slave on Planet Doom. Perhaps if she's lucky, she'll get to become the concubine of the emperor." She leaned closer to the forcefield, putting her hand next to her mouth and whispering to him. "But just between you and me, I'd rather be the extremely willing sex slave of the Prince-Consort of Arus." She started to laugh, and he punched one of the walls, damaging the panel.

"Maybe you're right," he said through gritted teeth. "Maybe you really are mad." He left the room and sealed the door to the security area. She walked back to the bed in her cell and sat down.

"If you only knew, Admiral," she said softly to herself, "if you only knew."

* * *

Haggar walked down a dark and cold staircase into the recesses of Castle Doom. When she arrived at the bottom, she walked over to one of the cells and peered inside at a figure huddled in the corner.

"Today is your lucky day," she said with a cackle. "Lord Kanji himself is granting you an audience." The woman looked up at her.

"From what little we know of him," she replied, "I doubt 'lucky' is the word I would use. I also doubt he would sincerely hear the words of a captive, so I assume he must have some other use for me?"

"Of course," Haggar replied. "You should be grateful he hasn't instead put you to death."

"That would have been a more viable option," the woman replied. "In fact, why don't you kill me now and deliver that message to him?"

"The people of Drule," Haggar laughed. "So proud, and so willing to die for nothing. You could have ruled the entire universe, and instead you grovel at the feet of the Galaxy Alliance!"

"At the price of tyranny?" she shouted. "At the price of the destruction of our homeworld? Nothing is worth the cost of genocide!"

"Regardless," Haggar replied, "you will come with me."

"I refuse!" she shouted. Haggar raised her staff, and a beam of energy hit the girl. She screamed in agony, then fell to the ground unconscious. She walked up to her and lifted her over her shoulder.

"Your fate is for Lord Kanji to decide," she replied, carrying her off, Cova closely following her.

* * *

Keith walked into Allura's office, visibly flustered.

"Virtually no luck getting information from her," he said.

"You talked to her?" Allura replied, slightly confused.

"I interrogated her," he replied. "She seems crazier than Wade."

"What DID she say?" Allura asked.

"Much of it was nonsense," he replied. "She calls herself 'Malva Nor'. She said she doesn't know where they've taken Phage, only suggested she might have been taken to the Slave Pits on Doom. But out of all the crazy talk, she mentioned something else that irked me."

"What was it?" Allura asked.

"She said that Zarkon is dead," he replied. "She mentioned a new ruler, but would not tell me his name. Allura, if there is someone new overseeing the Drule Supremacy, then we may very well be back to square one as far as eliminating their presence on Arus and surrounding planets."

"I'm anxious to see if Haggar sends any reinforcements to try to retrieve their little spy," Allura said. "Coran and I already spoke to Colonel Dillin of the Galactic High Council, and he assured me that a fractal with a security detail would be arriving in a few days to transport her to Earth for an informal trial."

"Maybe they'll have better luck getting information out of her than us," Keith replied, laying back on the bed.

* * *

"Hey, Pidge," Vince said as he, Daniel and Larmina entered the Control Room, "were you able to find out more about the Predator attacks?"

"From the increased haggarium signatures," he replied, "and your observations, I can almost guarantee you're right on the money with the 'testing' theory."

"So you think that the Drules may have perfected the Predator Robeast," Daniel said, "and we may need to beef up defenses?"

"It would help to practice a little more," Pidge replied. "There's not too much more I can do to upgrade the Lions' weapons systems without fully understanding their complexities. I think your best weapon at the moment is Vince's powers. If those things do contain a combined Dark Nexus, the first step to defeating anything like that would be to expose its weakness and neutralize it." Alarms began to blare. "Hang on, something's up." Pidge looked at the scanners. "It looks like the next test is about to begin."

"Then I guess we better get back to schooling Haggar!" Daniel shouted. "To the Lions!" The three ran for the chutes. "Signal Marina and Hunk and have them meet us there."

"Guys, wait!" Pidge yelled, but they already left. "I better let Marina and Hunk know….there's a second robeast coffin."


	6. Episode 105

**_lovecastle89 -_**_ Yes, Lance did just get careless and is now a father-to-be. What can I say, Ginger has made him more recless than usual. :P_

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_I'm glad you like Lion Force so much. It plays out like Voltron Force does, and yeah, don't miss the fluffy KA scene I threw in this week, outlining the plot for next week!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Another Predator set loose on Arus? I hate to think what will happen if and when Haggar's full plan comes to fruition!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 105 : "A Test of Wit"**

Black, Blue, and Green lions streaked across the sky, headed for the object that entered Arus' atmosphere.

"Which one do you think it is this time?" Larmina asked.

"Guess we'll find out soon enough," Daniel replied, blasting ahead of the others.

"Daniel!" Vince shouted. "Wait up!" Vince and Larmina sped up to try and catch him.

"It's the two-legged bull thing," Daniel said.

"They call it a minotaur," Larmina replied.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others before engaging?" Vince asked.

"You're probably right," Daniel said. "But if we don't, it's going to run a muck."

"Alright," Vince said. "Let's see what we can do, but keep a safe distance." The three flew down, and the beast turned its head and noticed. It fired lasers from its horns, hitting Black and Green. Blue swerved to avoid. They hit ground with a thud.

"Safe distance," Daniel said, rubbing his head. "Right." Both Lions got to their feet as the beast charged at them. "Split up!" Black banked left and Green banked right. Blue came in from above and tried to hit it with a Freeze tail attack. It immediately broke free, turned and fired at her. She was able to dodge and join the others.

"Yep," she said, "it's as strong as it was last time."

"Possibly stronger," Vince said.

"Don't say that," Daniel said.

"Just being honest," Vince replied.

"Can we stop it?" Larmina asked.

"It took four lions just to keep it occupied the first time," Daniel said. "If we don't find a way to stop it, we're in for some serious hurt."

* * *

Marina and Hunk ran into the Control Room.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Another Predator landed on Arus," Pidge said.

"Then we better get rollin'," Hunk said. As they were about to book, Pidge stopped them.

"There's more," Pidge said. "Sensors detected another robeast and an attack force to the south. We have to contend with this first."

"Then we'll start there," Marina said. "Let's go, Hunk." They ran to the chutes and dropped in. Marina swung around and around, dropping into the shuttle. The hatch closed, and sped off towards the mountain volcano. When it arrived, her seat raised out of the shuttle and into the Red Lion. She climbed into the cockpit and sat at the controls. Her Voltcom glowed, and the Red Lion came to life with a mighty roar. It took off from the volcano, joining Hunk on the way to where the other robeast was spotted.

"It looks like the militia are engaging the troops below," Marina said. "But the robeast….it's setting buildings on fire! We have to stop it!"

"I'll try putting out the blazes," Hunk said. "See what you can do about the hothead." Marina flew at the beast, then hovered in front of it. It took a swing, and she easily dodged it.

"That's right," she said, "I'm what you want. Come on and follow me." She took off, and the beast began walking away from town, trying to catch her.

"Time to douse these flames," Hunk said as Yellow scooped up some sand and blasted it at the burning buildings, smothering the flames. Some of the troops fired on Yellow. "So, you guys wanna play too?" Yellow swung around and whipped its tail across the front line, knocking the soldiers over.

"Got his attention," Marina said to herself. "Now what do I do?" She looked around and saw the nearby lake. "Maybe I can get this hothead to cool off." She took several shots with the Plasma Tail, then backed up, letting the beast chase her. "Just a little bit further…." The beast ran at Red, and red dodged again. The beast fell face first into the lake. Steam rose from the surface as the hot metal met the cold water.

"Marina," Hunk said, "fires are out!"

"Good," she replied. "Join me here. I'm not sure we've finished it off, but I may have weakened it."

"Roger that!" Hunk said, taking off towards her in Yellow.

* * *

"Daniel," Larmina said, "we need the others. We need to form Voltron!"

"I know, I know," he replied. He activated the com. "Marina, Hunk, where are you?"

"We're trying to stop this robeast from torching the town," Marina replied. "Hunk is trying to douse the fires."

"The predator is too much for us," Daniel said. "They've made it more powerful somehow. We need Voltron."

"We have to stop this beast too," Marina said. Daniel thought for a moment.

"Can you lead him away from the town?" he asked. There was a moment of silence.

"I just led him into the lake," she replied.

"If it gets up, stall it," he replied. "We'll be there."

"What hair brained scheme you got this time?" Larmina asked angrily.

"Get them all in one place," he replied. "If they want Voltron, then we'll give it Voltron." He connected his Voltcom to the console. "Go meet up with Marina. I'm gonna lead this thing there."

"Dammit, Daniel!" Larmina shouted. "Be careful!" Black poised and let out a mighty roar. The robeast charged. At the last moment, Black leaped out of the way at supersonic speeds.

"Ha!" he yelled. "Can't catch me when I'm boosted, can ya?" It fired a blast out of nowhere that hit Black. "Ack! Power levels are dropping!" He pulled the controls with all his might, and got Black to run at top speed, the Predator in pursuit.

* * *

"Is it dead?" Hunk asked.

"I dunno," Marina replied, looking closer. "Should we poke it?"

"NO!" Hunk shouted. "I mean….uh…probably not a good idea." They saw it start to move.

"Oh crap," Marina said, backing off. "It's starting to move!"

"Any ideas?" Hunk asked.

"He nearly evaporated the lake," she said. "I have the best defense, but without Voltron, we can't stop it." Blue and Green joined them. "Vince, Larmina, where's Daniel?"

"He's bringing the Predator here," Vince said. "I think he has a plan."

"It better be a good one," Larmina snarked.

"This beast is getting up," Marina said. "It seems to have an affinity to fire."

"Then maybe I can slow it down," Larmina said. The beast turned and fired a blast of heat, and Larmina countered with the Frost Tail.

"It's working!" Vince said.

"Yeah," Larmina said, "but I can't keep this up! Power levels are dropping!"

"Then how about this!" Daniel said, tackling Blue out of the way, allowing the flames to pass and singe the ground.

"Daniel!" Larmina shouted angrily.

"Sorry, Larmina," he replied. "The predator short circuited Black's power systems. But once we form Voltron, we should be able to recharge." The lions took off. "Gotta save power, so we do this the old fashioned way! Activate interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"

"Let's go Voltron Force!" they all shouted. The lions flew into the air, and began to transform once the energy field took hold.

"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron's eyes lit up as the energy field dissipated. Each lion let out a mighty roar as Voltron powered up.

"Here comes the Minotaur!" Vince said.

"Wait for it," Daniel said. As it got close, he yanked the controls. "Move!" Voltron dove out of the way, and the Minotaur crashed into the Iron-clad Flame Robeast. Voltron rolled to his feet. "Form Green Center!" Voltron reconfigured, Green forming the head. "Take 'em out, Vince!"

"Form Boomerang Shield!" Vince shouted. The shield formed in Voltron's hand. "Power Boost!" The shield supercharged, and Voltron threw it at the Minotaur, but as it was about to strike, a beam hit the beast, and he was pulled into a robeast coffin which flew away. Voltron caught the shield.

"Test failed, I guess," Daniel snarked. "Alright, let's stop this one!" They launched the shield again, and the beast got up and swung around, smashing the shield.

"It broke!" Vince said.

"Marina said it's fire based," Larmina said. "Gimme a chance to put it on ice!"

"One Robeast popsicle coming up!" Daniel shouted. "Form Blue Center!" The nexus switched as Voltron reconfigured, Blue forming the head.

"Form Titanic Trident!" Larmina shouted. The trident formed in Voltron's hands, and she spun it around expertly. "Freeze!" she shouted as she threw it like a spear at the beast. It stuck into it, quickly freezing it solid.

"Form Black Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured again. "Form Blazing Sword!" Red and Green clanked together and pulled apart, the beam of energy forming the sword. Voltron held it high as Green let out a mighty roar. Voltron ran at the beast, and before it could escape the ice, Voltron leaped into the air and sliced through the beast. It fell apart and exploded.

"We did it!" Larmina shouted. Daniel activated the com.

"Keith," he asked, "Were you able to drive back the Drule soldiers?"

"They're on the run," he replied. "I guess once their robeast was defeated, they decided to turn tail. No casualties. See you all back at the castle."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Allura asked.

"Absolutely," Keith replied. They stared into one another's eyes, almost reading one another's thoughts.

"She's dangerous," Allura said adamantly. "You know that."

"It's the only way we're going to be able to find the Emmissary," he replied. "She's our ticket into Castle Doom, and I'm our ticket to earning her trust."

"I don't have to like it," she said, turning away from him. "You know what she tried to do, and yet you are going to trust her to lead you to Haggar?"

"You'd be surprised what I've done in the five years I was searching for Black," he snapped back. "But everything I've done has been to protect you, Allura. I have sacrificed so much to put your mind at ease and make you feel safe. Now you need to be the one to trust me…not just as your husband, or the father of our children, but as the one constant in your life that's always done what's best for you….always done the right thing for you." She took in a deep breath, then let out a long sigh.

"I want to know everything," she replied. "No secrets and no lies. I don't care if you keep your plans from the rest of the force, but I refuse to allow you to keep anything from me, even if it's for my own good."

"And I never would keep anything from you," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. She breathed in, taking in his smell with her eyes closed. She could never stay mad at him. In her heart and mind, she knew he was right.

"Promise me you'll be safe,' she said, turning around and taking his hands. He looked deeply into her eyes.

"I promise," he said. "On my honor as a Lion Knight of Arus, I promise."


	7. Episode 106

**_KathDMD -_**_ I liked writing the KA scene. Keith's got a plan, and she has to know about it. You'll see some of the rest of the team has to be in on it, and it's part of the story._

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_Keith has a plan, and Allura knows it. She just wants him to stay safe (and loyal!). Promise not to faint when you read this..._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __The rescue arc in this story is one thing I have been looking forward to writing. This should be good!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 106 : "Setting The Trap"**

"We have an incoming message from Earth," Pidge said.

"Is something wrong?" Daniel asked. As Pidge set the com, the image of Alrek Holgersson appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, Voltron Force," Alrek said.

"Mr. Holgersson," Coran said, "it's an honor to speak with you."

"And you as well," he replied. "I have a matter of urgency I need to discuss with you."

"We seem to be experiencing urgent matters here as well," Coran said.

"This concerns the High Council," Alrek said. "The Council has voted to temporarily remove the Space Marshall from her position."

"But they cannot do that without a majority vote from the representatives!" Coran protested.

"_Ja,"_ he replied. "That is why I am requesting your help. You are a strong voice in the Galaxy Alliance Representation, holding the position as president at one time."

"This is true," Coran said.

"I am sure your voice will carry weight in the struggle to stop the council," he replied. "It is important to all the planets in the Galaxy Alliance that the truth be heard, and this madness to end."

"I will be on the next shuttle to Earth," Coran said. "I will do what I can."

"Thank you, Ambassador," he replied, and the com ended.

"Talk about poor timing," Pidge replied. "With everything happening here…."

"Without the support of the Alliance," Coran said, "Arus and her surrounding planets would be subject to attacks by the Supremacy, with only Voltron and our own military as a defense. I need to do what I can to prevent the Alliance from failing."

Understood," Pidge replied. "I'll do what I can to hold things down until you return, but we still need to locate and rescue the Emissary. I just hope we're not too late."

* * *

Keith made his way down to the detention area, and deactivated the field. He looked over at the guard.

"You're relieved," he said.

"Sir?" he asked, looking at him inquisitively.

"I'm handling this personally," Keith replied.

"Yes, sir," he said, saluting, giving a slight bow, then leaving. Keith walked down the hall and came into view of the cell. Malva looked up and saw him, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Having second thoughts?' she said seductively. "I promise to be a good girl….unless you don't want me to be." He looked her in the eye, then deactivated the forcefield.

"Actually," he replied, "I have been having second thoughts." He smirked. "You can be pretty persuasive." She stepped out of the cell.

"How will you get us out of here?' she asked.

"The others have their keys," he replied, "so I was only able to get Black."

"That'll do nicely," she said with a smile.

"I'll go ahead of you in case we run into trouble on the way to the Control Room," he said. "You want to feel like a queen, so I'll protect you like one."

"My hero," she said with a sigh. They walked out of the security area and made their way for the Control Room. They passed a security detail.

"Your Highness," one of them said, "is that prisoner supposed to be out of her cell?" Malva poised to attack, but relaxed when she heard Keith speak.

"I'm transferring the prisoner to a holding area to wait on the fractal to Earth," he replied. The soldier saluted, and Keith saluted back. They continued walking.

"Very smooth, Admiral," she said with a seductive smile. As they arrived at the door to the control room, he turned to her.

"Before we go in here," he asked, "do you trust me?" She paused, staring at him.

"Should I?" she asked.

"Once I go in there, we fight our way out," he replied. "After this, there's no turning back. If this is what you want…" She leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"It's what I want," she whispered, grabbing his groin and giving it a squeeze, which took him by surprise. He bit his tongue, then opened the door. Pidge stood up from the control deck, and Keith pulled a blaster and fired, knocking Pidge down, and unconscious. Keith ran to the controls and keyed in the codes to raise the chutes.

"This is so exciting!" she squealed. "You really are intoxicating…" The chutes started to rise. Suddenly, Allura ran into the control room, pointing a blaster at him.

"Keith!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking Black," he replied. "I'm taking her back to her people."

"I won't let you do it," Allura said. "You know what she did to you….to us!" He held his hands out, and two swords formed in them.

"Put the blaster down, Allura," Keith said, staring her down. "I have to do this." She fired, and he blocked it with the swords. He came at her swinging, cutting the tip of the blaster off, then turning around and backhanding her in the face. The swords disappeared, and he turned, punching her in the face, sending her to the floor out cold.

"Nicely done!" Malva said, clapping, a huge smile on her face. "I would have never thought…."

"Talk later," he said. "Let's get the lion and get out of here." They ran to the chute. He leaped for the swing, and she leaped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs tightly around his waist, breathing heavily on his neck as they swung down to the shuttle. They let go and landed in the shuttle, which took them to the tower, raising them into the Black Lion. They took their seats and strapped in.

"You have the key?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. He tapped a button on his voltcom. "It'll just take a moment to start." She heard a noise above, but looked up and saw nothing. Then she felt the lion roar to life, and she became more excited than ever.

"Set a course for Planet Doom," she said. "I'll direct you to more specific coordinates when we arrive. You have no idea how happy Haggar will be to have the Black Lion….or how I'll show you my appreciation." A seductive grin appeared on her face as she gently massaged his shoulders. He kept a stoic look on his face as he took off in the Lion, gripping the yokes firmly, heading out of sight.

* * *

Pidge slowly got up and shook his head. He looked at the controls, and indeed, they indicated that Black Lion had launched.

"Great," he said to himself. "It looks like it worked." He turned around when he heard groaning. He ran over to the other side of the room to see Allura trying to get to her feet. Suddenly her form started to spark and change, looking like a holographic projection, suddenly disappearing, leaving only Hunk. "You alright there, Hunk?"

"Ya know," he said, "being Allura ain't so easy." He grabbed his jaw and rubbed it. "I know he was trying to take it easy, but he's still got one hell of a right cross!"

"No time to nurse your wounds," Pidge said. "You and the others have to go follow Keith. It's the only way we'll be able to find the real Phage."

"You got it, little buddy," he replied.

"Remember," Pidge said, "Don't tell the others about the plan yet. We have to make this look legit."

"Right," Hunk replied. Pidge sounded the alarm. Marina, Larmina and Vince ran in.

"What's going on?" Vince asked.

"Keith broke that imposter out of the prison and took Black again," Pidge replied.

"Is he under a spell again?" Larmina asked.

"I don't know," Pidge replied.

"What about the other keys?" Marina asked.

"They're still here," Pidge said, opening the console. "You can use the other lions to catch up to them."

"What about Daniel?" Larmina asked. Where is he?"

"He already took off after Black," Pidge replied. "Said he had an idea." Larmina groaned a sigh.

"That kid is gonna get himself killed," she said. "Way to go, oh fearless leader."

"No time to gripe about it now," Marina said. "We have to get to the lions and take chase!" The four of them ran to the chutes and dove for their swings. As soon as they were gone, Allura came into the Control Room.

"Your Majesty," Pidge said. "What are you doing here? I thought you were…."

"Still in bed?" she asked. "Pidge, you should know by now that there's nothing that gets past me."

"I…um…." he stuttered, "….I don't know what you mean."

"Keith told me about the plan," she replied. "He didn't lay out Hunk too badly, did he?"

"He'll be alright," Pidge replied. "Hunk's tough. I'm just glad my holographic projection of you was able to fool her."

"I just hope Keith knows what he's doing," she said.

"I hope Daniel's gonna be alright," Pidge said.

"If it's one thing I've learned from all the training sessions he's had with Keith," Allura replied, "it's that Daniel can take care of himself."


	8. Episode 107

**_KathDMD -_**_ Hunk as Allura was PRICELESS. And no, Allura isn't one to stay out of action, even while pregnant. She's the queen...she won't be disappearing. Alexander however..._

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_Told ya they had a plan. You might not want to start at the end with this one. But you're gonna see the plan come to fruition._

**_selena devargo -_**_Glad to hear you warming up to Lance and Ginger, but watch for Marina's comment to Keith!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Will they be able to rescue Phage? I think the bigger question you'll all have is what is the significance of the jewelry Malva is wearing?_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Lieutenant Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 107 : "Malva's Revalation"**

Haggar walked into the throne room carrying Phage. She walked up to the edge of the stairway and set her down.

"I have brought you the Drule Confederation's Emissary to Arus, as you have ordered, Lord Kanji," Haggar said with a bow.

"So," he replied, "this is the woman the rebels had sent to speak to the Arusians?" He leaned forward and stared at her for a moment. "Bringing her to me unconscious is unfavorable."

"But necessary, my lord," she replied. "She was quite uncooperative." He looked up to meet Haggar's gaze. She was slightly taken aback…not even Zarkon was brazen enough, or brave enough, to look into her demonic eyes, having to face her intense ugliness.

"Indeed," he replied. "But I have no intention of enslaving her, or even turning her into a concubine. She is a prisoner of war, but a valuable one. As usual, you're assumptions have nearly lost you your life." She gulped. "I wanted to see her thoughts. Now all I see are dreams. But unity and coexistence cannot occur without victory, I'm afraid. Even she, to some extent, believes that peace is futile. The amusing thing about that, of course, is that her own doubts can be used against her." He stood up. "Bring her back to one of the estate rooms. Post guards at the door, as we do not want our guest escaping. When she awakes, perhaps we can play on these doubts….and gain a valuable ally."

"What of Malva, my lord?" Haggar asked. "While she is truly expendable, I would rather not be down one spy. She was captured while trying to secure the lions."

"She is of little concern to me," he replied. "If you feel she has not outlived her usefulness, then you mount a rescue. But I will not bother to take away resources for just one person. She is on her own, or she is dead."

"Yes, my lord," she replied sadly. Haggar was a bit annoyed with his answer, but she knew of his great power, and even greater strategic mind. In the deep recesses, she knew he was right.

"In the meantime," he said, "finish work on the Predator. Between that, and the special project you have been working on, I am dying to see your crowning achievement in action. Pray, your plan actually works."

"Oh it will, my lord," she replied. "It will." She scooped up Phage and quickly left the throne room.

* * *

"Are you sure you're able to track them?" Marina asked.

"Pidge has everything set up," Hunk assured her. "It looks like Black is on a course for Planet Doom."

"Doom?" Larmina asked. "Ever since Daniel, Vince and I had been there, they've increased security. How do you expect us to get in and out without making noise?"

"I….um….." Hunk said, "I have a plan."

"Huh?" they all asked in unison.

"What?" he asked. "I can't have a plan?"

"I wasn't saying that at all, Hunk," Lamina stuttered. "It's just….we've never heard one of your plans before."

"Oh it's a great plan!" he laughed.

"What is it?" Marina asked. There was a long and awkward pause.

"It's….um….it's a secret," he replied. They all let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's ok," Vince said. "Let's just keep following them." _I wish I knew what Daniel was up to._

_"Dude,"_ Daniel replied telepathically to Vince. _"Keep it down! I'm trying to focus here."_

"_Focus on what?" _Vince asked.

* * *

"There it is," Malva said. "Castle Doom. We won't be setting down near the castle though. I'm sure your friends will be tracing us here, and I don't want them to find us so easily. You're going to head to the west. There is a small complex there with a hangar. We can land there."

"How safe is it?" Keith asked, still focused on the controls.

"Safe enough, my love," she replied, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Perhaps if all goes well, Haggar will allow the lion to remain intact. As for us…." She laughed.

"Indeed," he replied still appearing focused. _I just hope I can keep this up long enough for the others to catch up._

"There," she said. "Land there." The bay opened up, and Black set down and walked into the bay and turned around. The doors closed. "Now we can go together to report our progress."

"Do we have to go now?" he asked. "I was hoping you would show me around first."

"Really?" she asked. "Well, I suppose it won't hurt. Come, let's have a little tour." She shot him a devious grin, and led him out of the cockpit. As the opening to the cockpit closed, a noise sounded from overhead, and a panel opened up. Daniel almost spilled out onto the floor, but caught the edge in time and gently lowered himself down. He looked around the cockpit and saw that nothing had been damaged yet.

"Good," he said softly. He sat down in the seat and began hitting buttons and switches, and looking at the readout. "He's got the security parameters set up already. I'm surprised she didn't notice. Nicely done." He keyed in a few more things. "There. Now I just need to sit tight until the others arrive." He thought for a moment. "Or I can sneak out of here and try to help Keith rescue Phage." He grinned and carefully left the cockpit. Black's eyes glowed for a moment, then dimmed.

* * *

Daniel sped through the halls looking for any sign of Phage. He ran down a flight of stairs and came upon a dungeon. He looked around and saw no one there at all, until he heard a faint voice from behind him in one of the cells.

"You there," the voice said. "You are not one of them. Please, help me."

"Where are the others?" Daniel asked, brandishing his claws. "Where is the Emissary?' The man came closer to the bars, unafraid of Daniel.

"The others that were here were taken to the coliseum," he replied. "I am much too weak at the moment, and as you can see, differ from any ordinary slave." Daniel looked him up and down and noticed he was a Drule. "As for the girl you speak of, the Witch Haggar came and took her hours ago to meet Lord Kanji."

"Who's Lord Kanji?" Daniel asked. The man looked him in the eye.

"He is the ruler of this place," he replied. "That is all I know. My memory has been affected, and I wish I could remember more."

"What is your name?" Daniel asked.

"I don't even remember that," he replied. "I only know I came here with a weapon and a purpose. Now I need to escape."

"If I let you out," Daniel asked, "will you help me find her?"

"I will," he replied. Daniel used his claws to hack through several of the bars, freeing the man. He came out of the cell. "From what I remember of the brief time I've been here, the rooms for royal guests are on the upper floors. If he means to turn her into a concubine, she may be there."

"Then let's get going!" Daniel shouted. He and the man fled from the dungeon.

* * *

Phage's eyes fluttered as she awoke on a soft bed. She sat up and looked around. It was fairly lit, yet still had the ambiance of a Drule palace. She got up from the bed and went to the door and peeked through the keyhole. She saw two soldiers standing guard.

"I guess my fate has been decided," she said softly. She walked over to the window and looked out at the sky. In the distance, she thought she saw a shooting star….or was it four? Daylight never tainted the skies of Drule, but here was a hint of color that caught her attention. She then suddenly heard noises outside the door. She ran to the door and peeked through the keyhole again, and saw a set of claws coming at the door. She quickly backed off, and the door slammed open, and Daniel and the Drule man came in. Daniel looked over at her.

"Emissary Phage, I presume?" Daniel adked.

"You are from the Galaxy Alliance?" she asked.

"Daniel Gordon," he replied, "Leader of the Voltron Force."

"Voltron?" she asked. "Thank goodness!"

"We have to get out of here," he replied. The man walked up to Phage and looked closely at her.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"He was in the dungeon," Daniel replied. "A prisoner like yourself."

"You look….strangely familiar," he said, staring at her face.

"We can debate it later," Daniel said. "We need to get back to the Black Lion!" The man nodded, and he and Phage followed Daniel out of the room.

* * *

"What are we supposed to do again?" one of the Drule soldiers asked another.

"We're supposed to look over the interior of the Black Lion," he replied, "and figure out how to disassemble it for Haggar." They walked up to it, but before they had a chance to get any closer, it's eyes began to glow.

"Um….is it supposed to do that?' he asked.

"I don't think so!" the other said. Black let out a mighty roar and swung a paw, knocking them out of the way. Soldiers flooded the hangar, and Black swatted them left and right.

"Persistent little snarts, aren't they?" Daniel asked, tugging at the controls. He fired the tail shock laser at the doors and blasted them open. Black bolted out the opening and flew out. Ships took off after them.

"It looks like they're not letting us go that easily," the Drule said.

"That's alright," Daniel replied, connecting his voltcom to the console. "My backup isn't far away, and they're gonna have trouble catching up to us."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Speed Boost!" Daniel shouted. His voltcom glowed, and Black took off like lightning over the surface of Doom, easily outrunning their pursuers. "And the team should be arriving right about now." Black landed, skidding to a halt in front of the other lions.

"What the hell?" Larmina shouted.

"Good Job, Hunk," Daniel said over the com. "The Emissary is with us, but Keith is still in there with that imposter."

"He's under that spell?" Marina asked.

"Not exactly," Daniel replied. "Sorry, Keith had a plan to break Emissary Phage out of Doom. I stowed away in Black and used the key in my Voltcom to power it up. She never suspected I had control the whole time."

"But what do we do now?" Marina asked.

"We need to deal with the company Daniel brought with him," Vince said.

"Can you guys handle the welcome party while we break Keith out?" Daniel asked.

"Oh sure," Larmina said, "bring the snartstorm to us and just bail!"

"Thanks, Larmina," he said, "I knew you'd understand." Black took off towards the castle.

"I was being sarcastic, you jerk!" she shouted.

"No time to cry about it," Marina said, powering up her weapons. "Time to bag us some Drules!" The four flew head on into the fray.

* * *

"And this is Sincline Tower," she said. "This is the balcony where King Lotor himself gave his commands….well, before he was defeated, of course. But you don't want to hear about that."

"I actually like it up here," he replied. "Seems very out in the open. Anything protecting it?"

"There are some defenses," she replied, "but that's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"I want to see how high up we are," he said, walking towards the edge of the balcony.

"Be careful," she urged. "Maybe we should go inside…"

"You know what," he said, "I think I actually like it better out here." He did a backflip over the edge and vanished. She let out a scream in panic and ran to the edge of the balcony and leaned over the edge….and caught sight of Black Lion rising up in front of her. She turned and took off running as Daniel fired the tail laser. She managed to dodge the blasts and get inside the castle. Black turned and took off back towards the others. Keith climbed into the cockpit and sat in the seat.

"What took you so long?" Keith asked.

"Had to stall until the team got here," he replied, "and we picked up a passenger."

"Great," Keith replied, "another thing we're gonna have to explain to Allura."

* * *

"Your Excellency!" Malva shouted as she ran into Haggar's lab. "The Emissary has escaped!"

"What?" she shouted.

"The Voltron Force!" Malva replied. "They infiltrated the castle and took her!"

"Perhaps they need to see the full power of the Predator!" she shouted. "Order the soldiers to release the robeasts on them! Don't let them leave the surface of Doom alive!"

"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied with a bow, and ran from the room.

* * *

"Ok team, we got Keith!" Daniel shouted. "Let's bail!" The lions met up and went to take off when the minotaur robeast came out of nowhere and swatted Red to the ground. The dragon came out of the ground and fired on Black, hitting it and sending it into a spin.

"It's the Predator Robeast!" Larmina shouted. The beasts flew into the air, and began to assemble and join together.

"Then we need to come together if we're ever going to get out of here," Daniel shouted. "Activate Interlocks! Dynotherms connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"

"Let's Go Voltron Force!" they shouted. The lions flew in formation, then begabn to transform as the energy field took hold.

"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron's eyes lit up with power. Each lion let out a mighty roar, and Voltron landed on the surface, the Predator Robeast landing in front of them.

"Charge it!" Daniel ordered. Voltron ran at the beast, and they locked up. It fired an eye laser at them, sending them tumbling backwards, but rolled back to their feet.

"Easy there, Daniel!" Marina shouted.

"Marina," Vince said, "that thing is laced with Haggarium. The cores are a complete set of Dark Nexus!"

"Don't you mean Nexuses?" Hunk asked.

"He means Nexii," Marina replied.

"Can we determine that after the fight?" Vince asked. "Incoming!" The Predator Robeast formed a staff that fired a beam of pure haggarium at them, sending Voltron flying backwards.

"Vince…" Daniel said.

"Already on it," Vince replied, connecting his voltcom to the console. "I think we might do a little better with a staff of our own."

"Good idea," Daniel said. "Form Blue Center!" Voltron reconfigured, Blue forming the head. "Take 'em out, Larmina!"

"My pleasure!" she shouted, cracking her knuckles. "Form, Titanic Trident!" The trident formed in Voltron's hands. Voltron fired, and the beast fired as well. The beams hit one another, and pushed each other back and forth, trying to overpower one another.

"It's stong!" Daniel shouted. "I'm not sure how long we can hold it!"

"You have an exit strategy?" Larmina asked.

"We can freeze it to the ground and take off before it can break loose," Marina said.

"If I stop, it's gonna hit us!" Larmina shouted.

"Then we need to move fast!" Daniel said. He connected his voltcom to the console again. "Get ready….NOW!" Voltron broke loose and rolled quickly to the left, dodging the haggarium ray. Voltron took off into the air quickly. The Predator quickly flew after them, firing.

"We need to shake that thing!" Marina shouted.

"Form Black Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured and turned quickly.

"This one, Daniel," Keith said.

"Release Electroforce Cross!" Daniel shouted. The cross released from Voltron's chest and flew at the robeast spinning. The force hit the Predator Robeast, sending it spiraling back towards the ground. Voltron continued to fly off.

"Should we finish it?" Larmina asked.

"Vince is drained," Daniel replied. "We need to get Keith and the Emissary back to the Castle of Lions. Then we can work on a strategy to stop the predator once and for all." Voltron flew off into the distance.

* * *

Everyone entered the Control room. Marina walked up to Keith and slugged him in the shoulder

"Hey!" Keith said, rubbing his arm.

"That was for scaring me like that!" she snapped, a small smirk appearing on her lips. "Not letting your own sister in on your plan?"

"I had to make it believable," he replied.

"He made it believable alright," Hunk said. "My jaw is still sore."

"Sorry, Hunk," Allura said, walking in. Keith immediately gravitated to her. He looked into her eyes as she smiled.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"You made it back in one piece, as promised," she replied with a smirk. She looked over at Phage. "Emissary Phage, I presume?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," she replied with a bow.

"It's good to finally meet the real you," she replied. "Please allow our Chief of Security lead you to your quarters. Then hopefully we can begin talks in the morning."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied. She turned to the rest of the team. "And thank you, Voltron Force. I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me had you not shown up." Pidge beckoned her, and she followed him out of the control room. Allura turned back to the group.

"And who is this?" she asked.

"We're not sure," Daniel said, "or rather he's not sure."

"I have no memory of who I am or where I came from, Your Highness," he replied with a bow. "I only remember being imprisoned in Castle Doom, and…..and…."

"What is it?" Allura asked. He turned to Keith.

"I remember….something I had," he said, looking at Keith. "Something I had was taken from me. Something very important." He looked away. "I don't remember what it is."

"We'll figure it out together," Daniel said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

* * *

"The Voltron Force escaped, Your Excellency," Malva said to Haggar, kneeling before her.

"I would strike you dead here and now!" Haggar shouted. "However, the predator Robeast performed beyond my expectations. I believe with a litte bit of tweaking, it can single handedly tear apart the castle of Lions, and rip Voltron to shreds!"

"And what of their Admiral, Your Excellency?' she asked.

"If you are lucky," she replied, "if he is still alive when we have destroyed Voltron, you can have him as your own personal plaything. But until then, I suggest you focus on your training, and be ready for the robeast's launch."

"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied. She slowly got up and walked out of the room. As she did, she reached to her left hand with her right, and instinctively turned and played with the ring on her ring finger…..a simple gold band with a half carat diamond embedded in it.


	9. Episode 108

_**KathDMD - **Yeah, Hunk had to cover for Keith there. And yes, Keith has two sisters. As for the nexus...read on!_

**_cubbieBlueMako - _**_I'm glad KA are together too. They were never really apart ya know. As for the ring, you may need to go back a few seasons for a refresher._

* * *

**_Author's Notes - _**_Who is this Drule stranger? Seems awfully familiar to me..._

* * *

**_Disclaimer - _**_Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and all associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and all associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode** **108** **:** **"Stolen** **Identity"**

Keith walked into Allura's room, and felt a soft breeze blowing from the open doors to the balcony. He slowly walked across the room and out the doors, spotting Allura there, looking out over forest and nearby town. He hesitated a moment.

"I appreciate what you did out there," she said without turning her head to look at him. She loved him with all of her heart, but the frustration with his actions were in front of her. She didn't want him to see it. "I'm also glad you kept your word."

"You haven't given me a reason not to," he replied. "I've returned in one piece, as promised."

"You know I wasn't happy with the plan at all," she said. "And I'm not happy you needed to lead that woman on."

"If we didn't rescue Emissary Phage," he replied, "we risked causing an interplanetary incident." He came forward and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You know I was the only one who had Malva's trust…enough for her to lead me into Castle Doom itself."

"Oh, so you know her name now?" she scolded. Keith swallowed, and thought for a moment.

"I found out quite a bit about not just her, but about the new ruler of Doom," he replied. "She's been an apprentice of Haggar's for as long as she could remember. Her own memories are vague about anything before her enslavement. The biggest piece of information we learned was that Haggar reports to a Drule Overlord known to them as 'Lord Kanji'." Allura gasped, and turned to him.

"His name appears in the Arusian archives," she said. "We'll have to look up more detailed information, but in my studies of Arusian history, and it's relationship to the Drules, the Empire was once separated kingdoms and planets. A single Drule was able to conquer and control them, forcing the planets to combine into a collective that we now know of as the Drule Supremacy."

"I'm hoping the more we learn about this 'Lord Kanji', the better," he replied. She turned away from him again and let out a sigh.

"You didn't kiss her, did you?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "As usual, I remained focused on the mission at all times." She turned around and made an inquisitive face at him. "And about you, of course."

"You better have," she said, a smirk forming on her lips. "And what of this Drule prisoner you brought back with you?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "He doesn't remember a thing about his life. He said something about losing something of his, and that it might have something to do with his memory."

"Then we'll look into it more tomorrow," she said, walking back into the room. Keith passed her on the way in, and she closed the balcony doors. "I'm just glad to have you home." He heard the locks click, and she turned around, looking him dead in the eye with a mischievous smirk.

"What's going on?' he asked. She walked up to him and pushed him onto the bed.

"What do you think is going on?" she asked with a seductive smirk. She climbed on the bed, straddling him.

"I take it this means you forgive me?" he asked with a smirk of his own.

* * *

Malva walked down the dark halls within Castle Doom on her way to Haggar's lab. As she walked she continued to play with the ring on her finger.

"Why do I feel so strange," she said to herself. "I keep hearing this voice calling out to me, and I don't know why." She looked down at the ring. "I must be losing my mind. Perhaps I will have Haggar look at it. But I fear she may destroy it." She took a deep breath, then pushed open the big door and walked inside. She took several steps before dropping to one knee and bowing her head.

"Ah, Malva," Haggar said.

"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied, then looked up at her.

"While Lord Kanji has not been pleased with the emissary's escape," Haggar said, "he is interested in the Predator. I wish to unleash the Predator on Arus."

"A brilliant idea, Your Excellency," she replied. "But what would you have me do? Surely you have a task for me, as you summoned me here."

"Yes," Haggar said. "While the Predator is a grand achievement is the design of Dark nexus, there is an even bigger project in the works. And this project concerns you, my young apprentice."

"Oh?" she asked.

"With haggarium flowing through your own veins," Haggar said, "you have become quite powerful in your own right, my apprentice. I dare suspect you may sometime soon harness the powers within you."

"I have yet to cast one spell," Malva replied. "I do feel the infection growing stronger within me, but in terms of magic, Your Excellency, I have felt none."

"In time," Haggar replied. "For now, my special project will be needing special attention. I want you to go to it. Study it. Determine its strengths and its weaknesses, if any. I want you to know it better than I. And when the time comes to unleash it….you will have total control." Her eyes widened in fascination, and she bowed to one knee again.

"I won't fail you, Your Excellency," she replied. She looked back up at Haggar with a wicked grin on her lips. Her pupils disappeared, and her eyes took on the shape of Haggar's for a moment, with an eerie purple glow.

* * *

"So you don't remember anything about your life before being taken prisoner?" Pidge asked.

"Unfortunately, no," the Drule man replied.

"Memories don't just disappear," Pidge replied. "At least, not usually by accident. Perhaps they are repressed?"

"You dealt in psychology as well?" Daniel asked.

"Nah," Pidge replied. "I'm just going by what I've seen in movies." Daniel facepalmed.

"You said you had an object," Daniel said, "something that was taken from you. Can you remember at all what it was?"

"I honestly…." He started to say, then he bent over, seemingly in pain.

"Dude," Daniel asked, "are you alright?"

"I want to remember…." he said, "….so hard…."

"Easy does it," Pidge said, helping him up. "Don't sweat it. We'll figure it out. For now, since you can't remember your name, we'll call you John."

"John?' he asked.

"Back on Earth, it's the name they give unidentified people," Daniel said. "John Doe."

"Earth…." he said, holding his head. "I…remember being on Earth. Someone…..argh, I can't remember!"

"We'll use that as a start," Pidge said, keying something into the data panel. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out."

"Our other issue is this 'Kanji' guy," Daniel said.

"This much I can tell you," he replied. "I remember hearing the other prisoners talk about him, as if he were more powerful than…..than…."

"Zarkon?" Daniel asked.

"Zarkon is dead!" he shouted, then held his head.

"Easy," Daniel said. "I'm sorry."

"No," he replied, "I don't know why that sparked something in me. All I know is Lord Kanji is pure evil, and one way or another, he must be stopped."

"I have a feeling Haggar is going to be sending the Predator Robeast back to Arus," Daniel said. He turned to Pidge. "We barely escaped Doom because of that thing. Vince said the thing is powered up, even more than before. Something about a cluster of…"

"Nexus," Pidge said.

"Don't you mean Nexuses?" Daniel asked. "Or Nexii?"

"No, Daniel," Pidge said. "The plural of Nexus is Nexus."

"Whatever it is," Daniel asked, "do we stand a chance of stopping it?"

"That much dark energy concentrated in one place," Pidge said, "it's gonna take a lot to counter that. It may be a question for Vince. I can sit here and give you cold statistics based on the science of Voltron. But the mystics…I'm sorry, Daniel, I got nothin'."

"As soon as Vince wakes up tomorrow morning," Daniel said, "we'll have a talk and try to figure out how to counter that thing. Right now, all we got to go on is a powered up Boomerang Shield, and the last time we tried that, it was no longer effective."

"Strategy," Pidge said. "You just have to think up a strategy."

* * *

_ A young, tall and skinny Drule man walked up to an apartment door. He felt an eagerness inside of him, as if he wanted to be here and stay here badly. He reached out and knocked on the door._

"_Who's there?" the young Drule woman inside shouted._

_ "It's me!" he shouted. She did not recognize the voice at all._

_ "Who's me?" she asked, scared yet angry._

_ "Dammit, Sergeant," he replied, "cut the crap and open the door!" She reluctantly opened the door. She saw the tall Drule officer in front of her. "The Space Marshall is gonna be livid when they find out we all slept in! Did you have another one of those nightmares again?" She blinked a few times in disbelief._

_ "Um…" she replied, "yeah."_

_ "Well continue to keep it quiet," he replied, almost in a whisper. "If the Commander finds out about the racket or worse, the visions, you'll get expelled. Or worse!"_

_ "I'll try," she replied, still confused._

_ "Oh, by the way," he continued, "I heard some of the last human colonies in the near universe are about to fall. Finally, the Empire will have control of the entire galaxy, and we won't have to fight over new planets anymore." She looked at him, disguising her confusion with a smile._

_ "That's great news," she said through her teeth. He smiled back. _

_ "I better get going," he said. "See you in the repair hangar later!" He smiled again, pointing at her as he walked away. She breathed a sigh as she closed the door, locking it behind her._

The young Drule opened his eyes and sat up in bed.


	10. Episode 109

**_KathDMD -_**_ I see you have found my little secret...the identity of our mystery guest. So you know the significance of the ring. There's a reason Malva is hearing those voices...and you will see more dreams come to life._

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_I really do like KA chemistry. It can't all be fluff, but I don't want them falling into background characters. They have more growing to do!_

**_amblewat - _**_Always good to hear from new readers! This story has grown out of my Voltron Legacy series, and I'm glad you're enjoying it :)_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __The Predator robeast is on its way...but that's not Haggars biggest surprise? Stay tuned!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 109 : "Infected"**

Malva walked into the lab and looked up as dozens of workers and scientists diligently pieced together the armor on the robeast before her. She smiled at the thought that she would personally be involved in this project…one that would destroy Voltron once and for all, and send her people forward into a new age of conquest. She walked up to it and placed her hand on the cold metal, her long, slender fingers resting against it. She closed her eyes and took in the sensation it gave her.

"Power," she whispered to herself. "I can feel the dark energy inside it….linked to my own." She opened her eyes and looked up at its face. "Collossus. The ending of the age of Voltron. If Haggar's plan works, the essence will be torn from the mighty robot and rejoined with her own. She will have what she wants…and I'll have what I want." She looked down at the ring on her finger. She winced slightly. "I keep hearing voices. Something telling me to stop. But I can't. Not when I'm this close." She let go of the beast. She looked up at one of the workers. "Increase your pace! Haggar wants this beast finished as soon as possible!"

"Yes," the worker replied, seeming to work faster.

"That boy that escaped with the Emissary," she said to herself, "something in me is stirring memories. I want to remember my past…but I'm afraid if I do….I just need to stop. It's not important who he is. But the secrets in this ring…if I didn't feel it calling to me, I wouldn't give it a second thought." She winced again as images filled her mind…images of Earth….ruled by the Drule Empire. "Could it be the future?" She shook her head. "I have to keep my head clear. Once this project is finished, I will single handedly take down Voltron, and lead my people to victory." She turned and walked out of the lab.

* * *

"Hey there, John," Pidge said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Honestly," he replied, "I had a strange dream."

"What kind of dream?" Pidge asked.

"A very vivid one," he replied. "I think it may have something to do with my past."

"I was able to run a background check," Pidge said. "While the Garrison's files are mostly locked down at the moment, I was still able to access the intel I had from the Den, back from when Wade was running things. The bad news is that there has been no record of you being to Earth, and no record of your DNA on file with the Alliance, or the Confederacy. Are you certain you have been to Earth before?"

"I'm almost positive," he replied. "I was there….with a young Drule girl…."

"No idea who she is?" Pidge asked.

"No," he replied. "I wish I did. For some reason, I feel like her and I….were in love."

"I wish there was more I could tell you," Pidge said.

"Maybe I'll have more dreams," he replied. "Deep down, I have to remember." Keith entered the Control Room.

"How is everything going?" Keith asked.

"So so," Pidge replied. "We haven't made much progress trying to figure out John's past. As for Haggar, it's a question of when she'll launch the Predator Robeast again."

"Daniel said that Vince might be able to do something?" Keith asked.

"Vince has always possessed this natural ability to fight haggarium," Pidge replied. "I'm thinking if he can supercharge Voltron, it might be enough to block the robeast's attacks, and allow him to finish it off….this time for good."

"I hope you're right," Keith said.

* * *

Vince stumbled through the dimly lit hallways in the castle's catacombs. Shortly after, he arrived at the tomb of the late King Alfor. He carefully walked up to the sarcophagus, and stared at it reverently.

"I still have no idea why I am how I am," he said. "Up until now, I have been taking my powers for granted, never questioning where they come from, or why I have them." He paused a moment, and was comforted only with silence. "You told me that you couldn't tell me what I need to know, but that you would show me the path I had to walk. The problem is I don't see it. How can I hope to stop the Predator Robeast if I can't even understand where that power comes from?" He turned around and sat on the step, resting his chin on his hands.

"Because deep down, you know you can," Alfor said, materializing beside him.

"Maybe I do," Vince said, "but that doesn't convince me on the surface. I've always thought of things in the light of science and technology. But the mystical throws all logic out the window."

"That is the nature of the mystical," Alfor replied. "You aren't meant to fully understand why, but instead have blind faith. It is that faith that sometimes drives a man to do the impossible." He looked over at Vince. "When I first learned the true nature of Voltron from my father, I couldn't quite grasp the magic behind the science. The Defender was, is, and always will be a living, breathing entity. But that alone isn't enough to keep it going. It needs sustenance. It needs power. Not the kind of power that runs the mightiest machines, or the kind of power that rules galaxies, but the power that exists in the human spirit. This is the reason for the pilots' bond with the lions."

"But I don't understand how I fit into all this," Vince said. "Are you saying the power I wield is the essence of the human spirit?"

"I'm saying everyone has power within them," Alfor replied. "You happen to possess the ability to use it in ways most people cannot." He let out a sigh. "You remind me of my dearest friend, Kovinx. Her ability to understand Voltron…to feel what it felt…was an amazing gift. When we were young, she used to ask me so many questions about the world around her. Over time, she came to learn so much more than she was. In time, my young friend, you will too." He walked across the room. "Voltron has always been more than a machine. The Lion Knights of Arus were but the tools to bring him to life. The Old Ones…powerful beings in their own right…meant for the creations of the worlds to fight and war. But Voltron rebelled against them. He triumphed as the greatest warrior. And when Lord Kanji himself threatened to destroy him with the might of how own words, my father, along with Kovinx, drove him and the Old Ones away."

"You say I'm like Kovinx?" Vince asked. Alfor laughed.

"Like her, you have a thirst for knowledge," he replied. "Continue learning, my young friend." He pointed to the wall, and words etched in the stone began to glow. "The path I told you about still lies ahead of you. Seek out the unknown. You may not be able to counter the power Witch Haggar will throw at Voltron, but you will find a way to channel the power within the spirit to stop her monstrosity once and for all." His image vanished, and the words etched on the wall reflected in Vince's eyes…._Hope._

* * *

Allura rifled through her paperwork in her office and heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she said. The door slid open, and Keith walked in. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, Keith. Did you receive any further news about the Predator?"

"Nothing yet," he replied, leaning on her desk.

"And about the boy?' she asked.

"No progress there either," Keith replied. "He says he remembers being from earth, but Pidge can't seem to find any record of him."

"I hope we find a way to help him," she replied. "He doesn't seem like he works for the Supremacy, but after all of the spies Zarkon has tried to send in to infiltrate the castle…."

"I doubt that's the case," Keith replied. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes with sincerity.

"You?" she asked with a smirk. "Mr. OCD when it comes to Castle Security?"

"I'm not sure what to make of it," Keith said, "but based on Daniel's account, and what I've seen of the boy, I don't see that he poses a threat. In fact, he may be able to help figure out what to do about the robeast…that is, if we can restore his memory."

"Speaking of the robeast," she said, "with no further information, what are our options?"

"I'm waiting for Vince," Keith replied. "Right now, he's our only shot at overcoming the negative effects of haggarium."

"Where is he?" she asked.

"I could have sworn I saw him heading for the catacombs," Keith replied. Allura scratched her chin in thought.

* * *

Daniel paced back and forth in the Control room. Marina, Hunk, and Larmina stood nearby, anxiously awaiting the results from Pidge's latest scan.

"Your pacing is making me nervous," Larmina said to Daniel.

"I can't help it," he replied. "As much as I'm itching to get into action, I'm still not sure what we're gonna do to combat the predator."

"Have you seen Vince?" she asked.

"Not since breakfast," Daniel replied. "He didn't say much…and he's not sharing much either."

"So much for that telepathic link," she snarked.

"I thought I saw him headed for the catacombs," Marina said.

"What would he be doing there, and alone?" Larmina asked.

"Looking for advice," Hunk replied. The others looked at him funny. "What?" Vince came into the Control Room.

"Vince!" Daniel exclaimed. "What's going on? Where were you?"

"Getting a little advice," he replied.

"See?" Hunk said. "Told ya."

"I'm still not one hundred percent sure we can do this," Vince replied, "but I'm ready to try."

"And not a moment too soon," Pidge said. "The robeast coffins just came on the scanners, and are entering Arusian airspace as we speak.

"Then let's not waste another second," Daniel said. "To the lions!"

"Where's John?" Larmina asked.

"He went back to his room to rest," Daniel shouted. "We'll worry about that later." They took off into the chutes.

* * *

_ His eyes fluttered. John saw a young Drule woman standing at an observation window, staring out into the darkness of space. As he came closer, approaching her from behind, he looked into the window at her reflection, and noticed several tears trickling down her face._

_ "It's ok," he said. "I'm right here." She sighed nervously._

_ "Tell me how we first met," she said softly._

_ "What?" he asked, half laughing. "You already know that."_

_ "Of course," she said, her mind racing. "I just want to hear you say it. I like to think about it in my mind."_

_ "Back at the flight academy," he said. She looked back out the window, still staring at his reflection as he spoke. He stood behind her. "You had been wandering the halls aimlessly looking for your notes. I remember how cruel the kids were to you…calling you 'spoiled' just because you are Commander Loken's daughter." He wrapped his arms around her lovingly, locking his arms, caressing her. She was taken aback, naturally, but she suddenly felt herself leaning into his embrace…feeling safe. "They put your notes up in the rafters. Jez and I climbed up there and got them down for you. Since then…I never could stop thinking about you." He held her tighter, and she closed her eyes. _

_ "Thank you," she said softly. He let out a small and sweet laugh._

_ "For what?" he asked._

_ "For no reason at all," she replied. "For just…being here." She watched as a smile came across his face in the reflection, and she smiled back. He slowly turned her around, and they kissed. It was slow and sweet…and as she slowly became lost in it, behind them, Ariel got closer and closer…._

His eyes opened.


	11. Episode 110

**_KathDMD -_**_ I know you like our unnamed Drule, but don't get ahead of the story! It will tie in to Voltron Legacy, but not in the way you think!_

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **K/A can do anything!

**_lovecastle89 - _**_I wanted to play off his talk with Alfor in "Coran Coran". It was inspiring._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __A Two-Part Lion-Fest! Enjoy!_

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 110 : "Prey" Part 1**

The Lions came together and headed for the last known position of the robeast coffins. All five kept a close watch on their scanners, preparing themselves for the moment they were dreading.

"It could be anywhere," Larmina said.

"It's here," Daniel said. "We just need to flush him out."

"You think they've combined yet?" Hunk asked.

"If they did, we would easily see them," Daniel quipped. 'Pretty hard to hide a million foot fully assembled robot."

"Then where could it…." Larmina started to say. Just then, something swooped at her and hit Blue, sending it spinning out of control. "I can't see! The console is dead! I don't know if I'll be able to reboot in time!" They watched as the Predator Beasts flew into the air and began to assemble.

"We've gotta do something!" Marina shouted.

"And we will!" Daniel shouted, connecting his voltcom. "Team, follow me in standard formation. We need to speed this one." The four lions took off after Blue, plummeting alongside it. "Larmina, can you divert remaining power to your interlocks?"

"I'll try!" she shouted. She pulled the lever with all her might. Blue began to make the conversion.

"Flash Form, Go!" Daniel shouted. Just as they were about to hit the ground, in a flash of light, the lions merged, and Voltron's eyes lit up with power. He swooped, barely inches from the ground, gliding back into the air.

"That was way too close," Larmina said. "Power levels are coming back up.

"Just hang in there," Daniel said. "Hunk, I'm gonna need you to compensate until her systems come back up."

"You got it," Hunk replied.

"Vince," Daniel shouted, "Are you reading anything?"

"They're here alright," he replied. "Coming in from above!" The Predator Robeast crashed into Voltron, and the two spiraled towards the ground, crashing with a thud. Daniel pulled hard, and Voltron kicked the robeast off him. Voltron leaped to his feet.

"Eye Beam!" Daniel shoutd. Voltron fired the eye beam, but the predator Robeast leaped into the air to avoid it. It tried to come down on Voltron, but Voltron sidestepped to avoit it, turning to counter with a right. The robeast blocked, and they locked up.

"I got this!" Marina shouted. "Igniting Lion Torch!" A blast of fire came out of Red, torching the robeast's face, causing it to release Voltron and back off.

"We managed to make it back off," Larmina said, "but it's not weakening."

"Vince," Daniel said, "is there anything you can do?"

"I can try," he replied. "Center me."

"Form Green Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Green forming the head.

"Form Boomerang Shield!" Vince shouted. The shield formed in Voltron's left hand. "powering up!" His eyes glowed white as the energy flowed from his Voltcom into the control panel. Voltron swung the shield in front of him, and the robeast fired a blast of energy from its right hand. Vince tried to block it with the shield. The beam hit the shield, and pushed Voltron backwards hard, sending him flying backwards to the ground. Vince passed out.

"Vince!" Daniel shouted. "What happened?" There was no response.

"Here he comes again!" Marina shouted.

"Shift our weight, Marina!" Daniel shouted. Red swung hard, and Voltron rolled out of the way, the beam missing them. We gotta get to our feet. Larmina?"

"Back online," she replied. She pulled hard, and Voltron leaped back to his feet.

"I think Vince is out," Daniel said. 'He's not responding."

"What do we do?" Marina asked

"Form Yellow Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Yellow forming the head. "Hunk, we need to stall."

"Let's get it off its feet, people!" Hunk shouted. "Rock Wrecking maces!" The maces formed in Voltron's hands. "Set it up…." Voltron swung the chain several times. "…knock it down!" Voltron sent the mace flying at the robeast. It held out its hand and caught it.

"He caught it?" Larmina asked.

"He caught it," Hunk said in disbelief. It pulled, yanking Voltron towards them, then hitting them hard with a right, sending them flying away, crashing into the ground.

"Come on, Vince, wake up!" Daniel shouted. _Wake up, buddy, we need you._

"We need to distance ourselves from that thing," Marina said.

"I'm gonna center you," Daniel said.

"I don't know if I can do that," Marina replied.

"Too late, on the job training, FORM RED CENTER!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Red forming the head. Marina gripped the controls tightly…yet still a bit nervous.

"Alright," she said, "let's see what this thing can do."

* * *

Keith and Allura marched into the Control Room.

"Pidge, what's the status?" Keith asked.

"The Predator Robeast is giving them a good fight," he replied. "Nothing seems to be working so far, and Vince is out cold."

"Not the news I wanted to hear," Allura said.

"There's more," Pidge said. "The Drules launched an attack on the nearby town. They have ground troops marching now."

"We need to mobilize the militia," Keith replied.

"They outnumber us by a considerable amount," Pidge said.

"Then we're just going to have to fight harder," Keith replied. "Pidge, you're with me." He walked up to Allura. "Will you be alright on the castle defenses?"

"Alexander is in the shelter with Nanny," she replied. "I'll be alright if you're alright. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," he said, looking intently into her eyes. He kissed her gently, then waved to Pidge, and the two ran from the Control Room. Within moments, John came running in.

"John!" Allura shouted, slightly startled. "We're under attack."

"I've heard," he replied. "I want to help in any way I can."

"Do you know how?" she asked. He sat down at the controls, and at first he was slow, then suddenly everything was coming back to him.

"Yes," he replied. "Everything seems oddly familiar to me."

"You're remembering?" she asked. "Were you military?" His mind wandered for a moment….

* * *

_ John's eyes fluttered, and he felt woozy….as if he had fallen into a drug-induced state. His vision was blurry at first, but became clearer as he heard a click of a lock. As he became aware, he tried to move, but noticed he was tightly restrained in a strait jacket. While panic arose within him, he felt a strange calm as he breathed in deeply…and a young Drule woman walked in, dressed in military garb, a black and red cape, and dark flowing hair wrapped tightly in an ornamental piece. The scent was something strangely familiar to him, and he felt less and less in control of his actions._

_ "I can smell her on you," he said softly. "You can't keep me here forever. I will find her."_

_ "No one knows what you are talking about," the woman replied. "I'm just here to help."_

_ "I assume my father sent you?" he asked, a hint of anger and frustration in his voice._

_ "No," she replied. "And you are not a prisoner either." He snickered._

_ "Couldda fooled me," he replied. "From the second I woke up, I was arrested, charged with espionage, and locked up in this cell." He took a deep breath, as the memories he had forgotten began to sink in. "I told you the same thing I told everyone who has come to see me looking for the truth. All I remember is that Marshall Keezor is my father, and that all the answers I need are locked inside the vision of a woman in my head." She looked at him, genuinely listening, but not really believing any of it. "You think I'm crazy too."_

_ "No, I don't think you're crazy," she replied._

_ "You don't have to lie to me," he said. "I can tell you know. I might not be a seer, but one thing I can definitely sense is when I'm being fed a lie." He took another deep breath. "Unless you genuinely wish to help me find what I'm looking for, I suggest you leave."_

_ "I was actually sent by Ambassador Hazar," she said. "My name is Dorma."_

_ "The guards refer to me as 'Patient Zero'," he sneered._

_ "It's nice to meet you," she replied. "And if you're serious about this vision you see…"_

_ "It's not just a vision," he said. "This woman exists. And the only way to understand any of this is to find her." He took another deep breath. "All I know is that she has some sort of tie to Voltron." She arched an eyebrow._

_ "Voltron?" she asked._

_ "Yes," he replied. "I know it sounds crazy, but Voltron exists!" She let out a sigh._

_ "Voltron DOES exist," the woman replied. "If it wasn't for Voltron, our people would have never escaped the old homeworld."_

_ "The change," he muttered. "I must speak to them. Someone must know."_

_ "I can't let you do that," she replied, "but I will do my best to find the answers you seek."_

_ "I'm not crazy you know," he said. "I'm just lost." He rocked back and forth in the corner and she got up and walked out of the room, looking back at him sympathetically before walking out and closing and locking the door. "She's everything to me…..all of me….."_

* * *

"Yes," John said, turning to look at Allura. "A military prisoner."


	12. Episode 111

**_KathDMD -_**_ More flashbacks! The team has their hands full with a ground battle AND the Predator Robeast! Perhaps this will spark a little inspiration?_

**_cubbieBlueMako_ \- **_Indeed, things are ramping up for K/A and their team!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Haven seen or truly heard from my muse in weeks. If you see her, please tell her I miss her._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 111 : "Prey" Part 2**

Keith led the charge against the oncoming Drule army. His swords formed in his hands, and Pidge stood to his right, activating his Smart Stars.

"Here they come!" Keith shouted. "Alpha Batallion, circle left! Beta Batallion, circle right!"

"And us?" Pidge asked. Keith brandished the swords.

"We're going strait through," he replied.

"Good luck, Admiral," Pidge said, preparing himself. They ran full speed at the enemy, dodging blaster fire and lason mortar fire all the way. When they came into contact, Keith began to hack his way through the army as Pidge sent his stars in from a distance, providing Keith with some cover fire. Moments intot he battle, laser blasts came in from a distance behind them.

"The castle is covering us!" Keith shouted. "Hold the line so they can drive them back!" The com opened.

"Alpha reporting minimal casualties!" the Alpha Leader shouted. "We are in position."

"Stand your ground, Lieutenant!" he shouted back, swinging at a few more oncoming Drule warriors.

"Their numbers are nearly endless!" Pidge shouted.

"Stay on the defensive," Keith ordered. "They need to work twice as hard if they even think they want to cover more ground." He spoke into the com. "Beta, you copy?"

"The Drules have organized a heavy front here," Beta Leader reported. "I don't know if we can hold out, Sir!"

"Do your best," Keith ordered. "Hold your position!"

* * *

"I can't see anything," Allura said, continuing to fire. "John, can you see Keith anywhere?"

"Even with enhanced magnification," he replied, "it's hard to tell one person from another."

"Keep firing into the crowd," she replied. "I can still feel him out there. I know we're doing something right. If I know him, he's put up a defense. That means the offence is all up to us."

"In that case," he replied, "I'll set up a wide burst of laser blasts that will start from their last known position and slowly work its way back. This should drive the enemy back far enough for his troops to get a foothold."

"Be careful," Allura replied. "I want to defend the town, not destroy it."

"Of course," John replied, keying the commands into the console. "I don't see Voltron. I hope they are alright."

"Me too," Allura replied, continuing to fire.

* * *

"Draw Magma Pistols!" Marina shouted. The pistols formed in Voltron's hands, and he took off backwards into the air while firing on the Predator Robeast.

"It's not phasing it," Daniel said, 'but it seems to be slowing him down."

"He swatted blue, smashed green, and caught yellow," Hunk said. "What else is there?"

"I got an idea," Marina said, "but I'm gonna need a little speed boost."

"I think I got enough in me," Daniel said with a smirk, connecting his voltcom to the console again.

"We gotta keep firing," she said. "Lead him to the volcano."

"You're not thinking of drawing it into the lava, are you?" Hunk asked. "Lace thought that MIGHT work, but we were going on a hunch that red could take the heat."

"I've got an even better idea," Marina said. "Just keep us ahead of it!" Voltron continued to fire on the robeast as it followed them towards the mountains. "Is Vince still out cold?"

"_Vince, come on get up!"_ Daniel thought.

"_What….what happened?"_ Vince asked telepathically.

_"Dude, let Marina know you're up,"_ Daniel replied. _"The robeast smashed the shield, and you passed out."_ Vince grabbed the controls.

"I'm here," he said. "Still a bit out of it, but I'm awake."

"That thing is gonna get real close," she said. "Do you have enough in you to shield us?"

"From what?" he asked.

"From whatever it's gonna throw at us," she said, still jerking the controls, trying to outmaneuver the robeast.

"I'll try," he replied. Voltron landed on a cliff overlooking the inside of the volcano.

"Is there any way we can knock out its ability to fly?" Marina asked. "We need to make sure it can't recover."

"We can fire an electromagnetic pulse," Vince said, "but I'm not sure it'll have any effect."

"Ready or not, here they come!" Daniel said.

"Get ready to move on my mark," Marina said, gripping the controls tightly.

"Up and over?' Larmina asked.

"Yep," Marina replied. "NOW!" The robeast came at them firing. Voltron blocked the fire as best it could, the haggarium fluctuating the power levels. As it drew near, Voltron took off into the air, somersaulting over the robeast, firing several times at it. When they landed, they turned to see the robeast staggering at the edge.

"He didn't fall!" Larmina shouted.

"Knock him in!" Daniel said. Voltron fired several times, but the shots bounced off.

"Come on, Vince!" Marina shouted. Without noticing, her voltcom sparked and arched intot he console. Voltron would back, but instead of firing a magma shot, a sai formed, and he threw it right at the robeast, stabbing it through the face. The robeast tumbled over the edge.

"It's boosters are about to kick in!" Vince shouted.

"Then get ready witht hat pulse, Vince!" Daniel shouted. Form Black Center!" Voltron reconfigured. He took off into the air over the volcano, and stretched out, arching backwards. "Electroforce Cross!" The cross fired from the Arusian Crest on Voltron's chest and hit the robeast. Vince's eyes whited out as the power from the cross exploded in a pulse that sent the robeast plummeting into the lava, then soon afterwards exploding a geyser of lava hundreds of feet high. Voltron lost control and tumbled to the ground below the volcano, and skidded to a halt.

"Is everyone ok?" Daniel shouted.

"I'm ok," Marina said.

"Me too," Larmina replied.

"That was not a great landing," Hunk said.

"Any landing you can walk away from is a good one," Marina replied. "What about Vince?"

"Vince, you alright buddy?" Daniel asked. After a moment, they heard a few groans. Vince held his head, and as he looked up, he could have sworn he saw several Krelshi escape the volcano, and disappear from sight. "Vince?"

"I'm fine," he replied. "The Predator robeast is finished….this time for good."

* * *

"It's working!" Pidge shouted, throwing several more stars at the robot troops. "They're fleeing!"

"Good," Keith said. "As soon as the area's secure, have the troops head back into town to check on the civilians. I want to make sure everyone is alright, and try to come up with a strategy to cover any damages and losses."

"You got it," Pidge replied. Keith looked back at the castle in the near distance.

"We did it, Allura," he said softly. "Our people are safe."

John got up from the console and celebrated.

"We did it!" he shouted. "The Drule forces are retreating, and the Predator Robeast has been finished!"

"That's great news!" Allura shouted.

"Another blow to that tyrant, Lord….Kanji…." he started to say, then fell forward, falling unconscious. Allura hit the com.

"Infirmary!" she shouted. "Get someone up here immediately! John's just collapsed!"

* * *

_ In a flash, he opened his eyes, and found himself staggering around a dimply lit cavern. Confused, he looked around as his balance shifted, the feeling of a spell spinning his head around and around and around._

_ "What is this place?" he asked, stumbling around in the barely lit room._

_ "This will be your home for now," a woman with him said with a smile. _

_ "What about the woman I see in my mind?" he shouted. "You promised me you'd take me to her!"_

_ "Patience, my young Drule friend," she said. "In time, you won't need to seek her out. SHE will come to you."_

_ "Come to me?" he asked. "How?"_

_ "Fate," the woman replied. "The reason you see her is because she has been chosen. She is not like the others…not like any Drule woman in the universe. Not even her own grandmother could see the power she wields. But in your hands, you will hold something close to her. You will possess her….control her. And in time, you will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine!"_

_ "I do not concern myself with power!" he snarled. "I only want to know who and what I am. All I want are answers!"_

_ "All Drule men concern themselves with power and conquest," she replied. "It is the way of things. It's in your blood. Don't deny your heritage as some of our people have. You are destined for great things!"_

_ "I'm no king," he said, "and I'm no emperor. And fate has nothing to do with me."_

_ "Ah, but it does, young one!" she replied emphatically. "When she comes to you, you will understand. The anger will swell in your heart, and you will realize who you are…and what you are to her."_

_ "You haven't even told me your name," he snapped._

_ "I am Haggar," she replied. "And with your help, we will return the Drule Supremacy to the empire it once was." Light surrounded him, and in a flash, it all went dark._


	13. Episode 112

**_KathDMD -_**_ Honestly, I wasn't planning to have everything come together, but in the course of things, it's falling together that way. Especially when "John" discovers the missing link, and even better, discovers the reasons he was given the item he was given, and what its true purpose was. And yes...I miss my muse desperately._

**_Megazord Prime -_**_ Keith and Allura will continue to defend the universe in their own way, as a team, and as a family._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 112 : "The Apprentice"**

Malva paced about her quarters deep within the recessed of Planet Doom, readying herself for the fight that awaited her. She looked down at her hand, adorning her left ring finger the single gold band with a half carat diabone embedded in it. Her own mind seemed drawn to it, not only in fascination, but she felt a strange energy take over her when she touched it…as if her thoughts began to wander.

_ As long as you hold it, you will always remember…._

She jolted out of the trance, shaken a bit, but shrugged it off soon after.

"That was weird," she said softly to herself. "It must be all in my mind. I think with Haggar's robeast completed, the anxiety of piloting her greatest creation is taking a small toll on me. I have to stay focused." She went to walk to the door, but when she reached for the handle, a spark of flame came from her hand, and the door became engulfed in flames. She backed up in panic and closed her eyes. When she opened them, the fire was gone.

"What?" she gasped. She reached for the handle again, and this time it opened. As she stepped into the hallway, she could hear Haggar's screams from floors below in her lab.

"The Predator Robeast was DESTROYED?" Haggar shouted, the echoes filling all of Castle Doom. Malva let out a sigh.

"Is Voltron really that powerful?' she asked softly. "Is HE really that powerful? A Lion Knight of Arus….prince of his people….Defender of the Universe?" Her mind wandered around Keith, yet when she closed her eyes, a different face consumed her vision….that of the escaped prisoner, the prisoner without a name.

"Why do I keep seeing him?" she thought. She looked down at the ring, and thought she heard more voices. She shook her head again, trying to drown them out, as she continued to believe they were all in her head. "I wonder if Haggar knows who he was." She walked down the steps towards the lab. In mere hours, she would be inside the belly of the robeast, and she wanted the answers to her questions before that happens.

* * *

John awoke in the infirmary with Keith and Allura looking over him.

"He looks like he's coming around," Keith said. He looked down at John. "You had a pretty nasty spell there."

"I…." John started to say.

"Keep still," Allura said. "I'm not sure what happened, but you are going to need plenty of rest. I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait."

"No…." John said. "You need to understand. Something….is happening…"

"What is it?" Keith asked.

"Haggar…." he said. "She….put a spell on me…."

"A spell?" Keith asked. "Was she here? In the castle?"

"No," he replied, gaining strength. "A long time ago." Keith and Allura looked at one another. "I don't remember how or why, but somehow she is responsible for all of this, including my memory loss."

"Then we'll find a way to break the spell," Keith said adamantly.

"I don't think it will be that simple, Admiral," he replied. "From what I saw in my dreams, Haggar used the spell on me to manipulate and twist me into doing things for her. The vision of a young Drule woman constantly filled my mind, and not knowing who she was brought so much pain."

"Haggar has hurt so many people," Allura said, her thoughts wandering to Sven, her father, and countless others who were directly or indirectly injured or killed at the hands of her and her creations. "I promise, we'll find a way."

"Thank you," he replied. "It may unlock not only the reason I wound up a prisoner on Doom, but also the mystery of who I am, and who the woman in my visions is."

* * *

Four in the morning came quickly. Allura felt the weight of the bed shift, and instinctively gained partial consciousness. She knew him like a book….knew his routines, his comings and goings. She let out a slight moan as she struggled to speak.

"Good morning, my love," she said rolling onto her back from her side as he pulled on his uniform. "Do you want me to have the staff prepare your morning coffee?" He chuckled.

"No one ever gets it right," he replied. "Not even you. But it's ok." He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "You don't have to worry about that, or anything for that matter."

"Enjoy your rounds, Keith," she said with a smile as she closed her eyes and snuggled under the covers, getting back to the wonderful dream she was having.

"Goodnight, Princess," he replied lovingly as he turned off the lights and left their quarters. He strolled up the hallway and entered the elevator, taking him several floors up to Castle Control. As he exited the elevator, he caught the smell of coffee. _She didn't…. _ He walked down the hallway and saw a cart next to the door with a coffee pot and several cups turned upside down on their coasters. He took one, and poured a cup. The coffee was blacker than Black Lion, and when he took a sip, his eyes opened a bit wider, realizing how good it tasted.

"Someone finally got it right," he said to himself. His watch started to go off, and like clockwork, he entered Castle control ready to….

"Morning, Keith," Daniel said, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Daniel?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Perimeter scan," he replied. "Figured it was something I'd have to get used to sooner or later, right?" The screen switched to Larmina doing her morning yoga, then moments later to the garden outside the main gate.

"Any idea who made the coffee?" Keith asked.

"Oh, it was me," he replied. "It's an acquired taste, but figured a little caffeine boost is good for the speed boost, right? I wasn't sure how you liked it, so I just made it the way I always make it. Every time I have the staff make it….well….it just doesn't taste the same." Keith smirked.

"So," Keith said, sitting in the next chair, "see anything?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Daniel replied. "Since we put down the Predator Robeast, it's been kinda quiet. Not exactly used to this."

"I know what you mean," Keith replied.

"How's John doing?" Daniel asked.

"He's starting to remember some things," Keith replied, "but not all of it. He seems to think that Haggar put a spell on him that's made him forget everything, and that he was manipulated into doing things against his will."

"Sounds like something Haggar might try," Daniel replied.

"If Haggar does have something to do with John's memory," Keith said, "she may come looking for him. And we'll be ready." Daniel nodded in agreement.

* * *

Malva carefully entered the laboratory where Haggar was putting the finishing touches on her ultimate robeast. She heard her footsteps.

"Good, you are here," she replied. Her tone was that of annoyance, but her anger was not at Malva, but at the failure of the Predator Robeast.

"I will not fail you, Your Excellency," Malva replied with a bow.

"See that you don't," she replied, "or Lord Kanji may take both of our heads." Malva took a few steps towards her.

"I have been doing some thinking," Malva said.

"That is a dangerous thing to do, my young apprentice," she replied. "Though I suppose the haggarium in your veins is beginning to have strange side effects." Malva thought back to the voices and the thoughts, and realized that it may have all been caused by her injections. But she still pressed on.

"I do have one question though," she said. Haggar's ears perked up as she carefully read her apprentice's immediate thoughts.

"You wish to know about the prisoner that escaped?" Haggar asked.

"Yes, Your Excellency," she replied. "There is something extremely odd about him. Why was he imprisoned?"

"He was caught snooping about the castle," she replied. "He had intent on assassinating Lord Kanji. I was able to snare him in a trap, and imprison him. He was stripped of his belongings and thrown in the dungeon, and over a short time, he lost all memory of who he was. And a good thing too…because he knew more than he should, and could have very well succeeded in his plans."

"I do not believe any man is capable of defeating anyone as powerful as you, Your Excellency," she replied with a slight bow. "Tell me, what is his name?"

"His name is Kerza," Haggar replied. "And as long as he stays in the realm of madness, he will not be able to trouble us again."


	14. Episode 113

**_KathDMD -_**_ Glad to hear the Daniel/Keith scene went over so well. Hopefully you'll fall for this episode, as Kerza learns more about himself._

**_cubbieBlueMako -_**_ KA is indeed a great team. It's good to hear that Daniel is becoming more and more Keith-like._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"The Heart Wants What It Wants" by Selena Gomez_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 113 : "Circle of Fate"**

_ John's eyes fluttered, and he felt himself in a daze. He heard a voice from behind him, pushing him forward._

_ "Go to her," the voice said. "She has the answers you seek. Make her yours, and she will ease your burden." He walked forward slowly, heading towards the figure of a woman in the short distance. Upon seeing him, the woman gasped._

_ "It can't be!" she said._

_ "Oh but it is, child!" the cackling voice came from behind him. "The very same man you feel in love with! The very same man who will stop you and the Voltron Force once and for all!" His confusion intensified._

_ "Let him go, Haggar!" she shouted, her voltcom glowing bright yellow, ready to strike._

_ "You wouldn't dare strike against your own betrothed, would you?" Haggar taunted. He shook his head, more puzzled now than ever. "Surely you care enough about him to not try to attack me while he is here. After all, the young man has many questions! And I promised he would have answers!" He approached her slowly._

_ "No," she said cautiously, "stay back!"_

_ "You don't understand," he said, "you are the only one that can tell me! I see you every night in my dreams, and I don't know why! I see you in my head, driven to the point of madness! Now you are here, just as the old woman said you would be! Please tell me who you are and why you torment me!"_

_ "Enough!" Haggar shouted. "Take her! Take her as your own, and all of your questions will be answered! You can live your life in peace!" He looked at her, and she looked back into his eyes. A spark appeared in them….something Haggar didn't notice._

_ I….remember…_

_ "You can't make someone love you," he said, still staring into the young woman's eyes. "You can't fight for something that doesn't want you. It's pointless."_

_ "What in the name of everything are you talking about?" Haggar asked._

_ "YOU did this to me!" he said, turning towards Haggar. "I remember alright….I remember EVERYTHING!"_

_ "No!" Haggar yelled. "How can my spell be broken!"_

_ "By a power stronger than yours, Haggar!" the young woman shouted._

_ "Your grandmother can't protect you forever!" Haggar shouted. "One day she won't be there, and you will become a memory to all of history! But today, you will remember as the day your beloved was turned to dust!" She spun her hands and launched a wall of flames at John. The young woman covered her eyes in horror. John held up his arm in front of his face, and the wave of flame passed through him, leaving him unharmed. After a brief silence, the young woman opened her eyes._

_ "You're…..alive?" she asked._

_ "How is this possible?" Haggar asked._

_ "You created a monster when you brought me here, Haggar!" he said. "I don't belong in this universe. Your magic has no affect on me." Haggar screeched and waved her wand, disappearing before their eyes before they could react. He stood there, and she ran to him, throwing her arms around him._

_ "I can't believe you're alive!" she said, sobbing into his shoulder. "You saved us all."_

_ "I remember everything," he said, pushing her back a little so he could look into her teary eyes. "Just like you don't belong there, I don't belong here. Now I'll never know….because you're not her." She stared back into his eyes._

_ "I didn't love you any less than her," she replied. "This isn't the end, you know?" He saw a strange jet land nearby._

_ "It looks like the end to me," he said with a defeated sigh._

_ "What will you do?" she asked. "Where will you go?"_

_ "I don't know," he replied. "I lied about one thing. The spell isn't broken. It was the only magic that affected me, since the Haggar of the other realm cursed me with it. The moment I leave you, I'll forget everything again." He sighed and turned away. "Maybe it's better I forget. Then it won't be so painful to remember you…us…..everything." She placed a hand on his shoulder._

_ "No," she replied. "It's not. You need to remember. You HAVE to." She reached into her pocket and pulled something out. She put her hand up to her lips as if kissing it, but softly whispered something into her hand. "This will help you remember. Promise me you'll always keep it with you." He took it from her, then looked in his hand. He smiled, but a single tear fell down his cheek._

_ "As long as I hold it," he replied, "I'll never forget." She hugged him one last time, then he turned and walked away._

* * *

Haggar walked into the main laboratory, and carefully looked up at her robeast….her ultimate creation. She looked over at Malva, who was being strapped into an exoskeleton in preparation for being inserted into the robeast.

"I want our main fleet to be ready to take off within the hour," she said.

"Most of our squadrons have left with Lord Kanji," the guard said.

"Then gather whomever we have left," she sneered. "We need to attack Arus now, and put an end to Voltron once and for all!" She looked over at Malva, and walked up to her. "And to you, my young apprentice. I want nothing more than to see you succeed."

"I want nothing more than to destroy Voltron, Your Excellency!" she shouted. Haggar nodded.

"The nexus implanted in the beast, as you know will not be enough," Haggar said. "The young man that defeated the Predator….I feel a power within him I have not felt in centuries. We must not allow ourselves to underestimate him and the Voltron Force." She pulled a syringe. Malva looked on as the glowing purple liquid oozed from the tip of the needle. "It is a hefty amount….to some, enough to kill." Malva looked her dead in the eye, then tilted her head.

"I welcome it, Your Excellency!" she shouted. Haggar grinned and cackled. She came closer, and stuck the needle in Malva's neck. Malva winced as it pierced her skin, entering her vein, and Haggar slowly pushed down on the plunger.

"The power that the quasar has given me, my creations, and those whose blood teems with it, is simply incredible." She pulled the needle from her neck, and a small trickle of blood oozed down her neck. Malva could no longer feel it. She only felt the rage the haggarium in her veins was making her feel, and a surge of power, capable to incinerating a mountain. Haggar smiled as the exoskeleton was hoisted into the air, and inserted into the robeast.

"Soon, Arus, and the entire galaxy, will feel my power," Haggar said, "and the secret of Voltron will be mine once again!"

* * *

Alarms begin to go off in the Castle of Lions, and everyone comes running into Castle Control.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked.

"A Drule fleet has entered Arus' atmosphere," Pidge replied. "The fleet itself is not huge, but the cargo in that robeast coffin….let's just say I was able to detect the power levels of that thing before it even reached the system!"

"Then we need to mobilize," Daniel demanded. "Get to the lions, and ascertain the threat. Once we know what we're dealing with, we can come up with a plan of attack." Keith couldn't help but smile at the prospect of Daniel talking strategy. Allura gently placed a hand on his shoulder, enjoying this bonding moment.

"I will go too," John said walking into the room.

"You're too weak right now," Allura said. "Besides, we could use you on the castle defenses."

"You don't understand, your Highness," he replied, "I have to go. Something out there is calling to me. One way or another, I have to get to the bottom of what's keeping me from remembering. Whatever it is….it's in that coffin. If Haggar really is the one suppressing my memories, then I need to face it head on to get them back." There was a moment of silence, then Keith nodded.

"Alright," Keith said. "You ride with Daniel. Pidge and I will keep an eye on things from here."

"We all will," Lance said, walking in.

"What are you doing up here, Lance?" Keith asked.

"On the job training, Admiral," Lance said with a slight laugh. "I brought some of our best and brightest up to help on castle defenses."

"And he brought one of the most awesome pilots in the Alliance to keep them all in line," Ginger said with a grin. Allura nodded.

"Very well, " she said. "You take forward positions. Keith and I will gather the remaining guards and cover the rear."

"And the rest of us will get to the lions!" Daniel shouted. The others followed suit and ran for the chutes.

* * *

"There they are," Daniel said.

"And here we go!" Larmina shouted, swooping in to fire on some of the drone ships.

"Be careful, Larmina," Daniel said. "If Pidge is right about that robeast coffin, we might be biting off more than the lions can handle."

"You telling ME to be careful?" Larmina laughed. "That's a switch if I ever heard one!"

"Let's just keep our eyes peeled," Marina said. "Do you want us to fire on the command ship?"

"Stick to the drones," Daniel replied. "If there is a robeast attack, I want the castle and Voltron to have as few targets as possible to have to deal with." The Lions continued to circle the battlefield, taking out the drones escorting the ship. Moments later, the robeast coffin touched down, and when it opened, a flash of purple light emanated from it, and the robeast emerged at full size and strength, letting out a mighty roar.

"Is that it?" Hunk asked. "Doesn't look so tough."

"I can't even begin to describe the power level of that thing," Vince said, his eyes widening.

"Scatter!" Daniel shouted as it fired several missiles at them. One turned and followed Black, the other followed Red.

"It's following us!" Marina shouted.

"Circle around and head for my position," Daniel said. Red and Black headed for one another, then dodged at the last moment. The missiles crashed into one another and exploded.

"Thanks, Daniel," Marina said.

"The robeast is the main threat," Daniel said. "We need to take that out first. Ready to form Voltron!" The lions moved into position. "Activate interlocks! Dynothems connected! Infracells up! Megathrusters are go!"

"Let's go Voltron Force!" they all shouted. The lions flew into the air, and the energy field took hold. The lions began to reconfigure.

"Form feet and legs!" Daniel shouted. "Form arms and body! And I'll form the head!" Voltron's eyes lit up. He crossed his arms, and each lion let out a mighty roar as Voltron powered up.

"Let's see how strong it is," Daniel said as Voltron landed. He pushed the controls forward hard, and Voltron ran at the robeast, prepared to tackle it. The beast managed to catch Voltron, and they pushed against one another, struggling.

"It's taking everything we have to hold it back!" Larmina shouted.

"It it haggarium powered?" Daniel asked.

"Worse than that," Vince said. "I sense a staggering amount of haggarium, but I am also picking up a humanoid life form….a Drule!"

"Inside the robeast?" Daniel asked. The robeast directed Voltron's momentum and threw him to the side. Voltron rolled to its feet.

"How is that possible?" Larmina asked.

"The amount of haggarium you say is in there would…." Daniel started to say.

"Be enough to kill you?" Vince finished. "Yeah. That's what scares me. Whoever or whatever is piloting that thing has more haggarium energy coursing through them than a purely Dark Nexus."

"That's a bad thing, right?" Hunk asked.

"Remember Daniel's infection?" Vince asked. "Ten times worse." The robeast came at them again, but Voltron turned to block. The beast leaped back and fired several missiles that exploded on impact, pushing Voltron backwards.

"We're taking damage here," Daniel said. "Time to change up the strategy. It wants to get tough, let's give 'em tough. Hunk, you ready?"

"Let's rock this robeast!" Hunk shouted.

"Form Yellow Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Yellow forming the head.

"Rock Wrecking Maces!" Hunk shouted as the maces formed in Voltron's hands.

"We'll need to shatter the core," Vince said, "and whoever is containing it. Aim for the chest cavity. I'm going to try and power up your shots." Vince locked in, and his eyes went white. The maces glowed yellow with power.

"It's clobbering time!" Hunk shouted.

"Tell me you didn't just say that," Larmina snarked. Voltron ran at the robeasts and began hitting it square on with lefts and rights, trying to break through the armor plating. The robeast tried to back off and counter, but Voltron was able to push forward, puncturing the plating.

"It's working, Hunk!" Daniel said excitedly. Suddenly, John took off his harness and went to leave.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked.

"It's in there," he replied.

"What is?" Daniel asked. He looked him dead in the eye

"My memories," he replied. He exited the cockpit. Moments later, Black's mouth opened, and John ran out and headed for the robeast. Voltron locked up with it again.

"We've stopped hitting it," Marina said. "What gives?"

"John's out there," Daniel replied.

"What the heck for?" Marina shouted.

"I don't know," he replied, "but we gotta buy him some time."

"I don't know how much time we have left," Vince said, his voice straining. "This thing's haggarium levels are so high….I don't know how much longer I can shield Voltron from it."

* * *

John leaped onto the leg of the robeast and shimmied his way, climbing up to where Voltron had damaged its armor. As he climbed inside, he could hear a female voice shouting.

"You're power is no match for the will of the Old Ones!" she shouted. He could hear the rage in her Voice as the robeast began to push Voltron back.

"I know you have it!" John shouted. "I won't let you use the power of my memories to destroy what I hold dear!"

"Who is here?" she shouted, her voice raspy and rage filled. "I will kill you where you stand!"

"I remember what I am," he shouted. "And I know what I was meant to do! Give me back my memories of her!" A part of Malva became confused, and the robeast lost footing, allowing Voltron to land one critical blow, sending the robeast backwards. Vince collapsed.

"Vince!" Daniel shouted. He could no longer hear Vince's straining in his mind from the telepathic link. "Vince is out. Marina, we need to compensate."

"Understood," she replied with a nod.

"I don't want to hurt John," Daniel said, "but we gotta stop this thing at all costs. Form, Black Center!" Voltron reconfigured, Black forming the head. "Form Blazing Sword!" Red and Green clanked together and pulled apart, forming the Blazing Sword. Voltron held it back, Green letting out a mighty roar.

"Leave now before I have to destroy you!" Malva shouted.

"I refuse to let you die!" he shouted. He caught sight of her left hand, the ring adorning her finger sparked the feeling in him he had had in the dream. "I refuse to let my memories die!"

"NOOOO!" she shouted as he ran at her. She reached out and tried to blast him with fire, but the flames danced around him and did not burn him. He grabbed her arms and legs and tore them out of the exoskeleton. She thrashed, and in her rage, slammed her head into the bulkhead and was knocked unconscious. As he picked her up, the cold metal of the ring brushed his skin, and for a split second, he remembered everything.

"No, Malva," he said with a whisper, "This is what she meant…..this is what she wanted." He climbed out of the robeast with her over his shoulder, and ran from the battlefield.

"He's got her!" Larmina shouted.

"Then let's finish this!" Daniel said. The robeast got up and tried to fire more missiles, but Daniel jerked the controls, avoided the blast, leaped into the air and came down with the Blazing Sword, slicing the robeast in half. The halves fell apart and came to the ground with a crash and exploded.

"Malva and the robeast have failed!" Haggar shouted in anger. "All that power, wasted!" A communication came in.

"Haggar," the officer said, "Lord Kanji requested you to return to Castle Doom, as he will be leaving on urgent business. He states that regardless of your failure….everything you have done has aided his success." She sighed with relief, and the command ship fled.

"I don't think that's the last we'll see of Haggar," Daniel said, "but at least we stopped her robeast."

* * *

John sat at the bedside next to Malva. Keith and Daniel walked into the infirmary.

"How is she doing?" Keith asked.

"She is stable for now," he replied, "but the infection seems to be worsening."

"Pidge said that she was given a lethal dose of haggarium," Keith said. "It's a miracle she's still alive."

"A miracle indeed," John replied, looking down at the ring on her finger, the only thing that didn't have that awful purple glow. "Admiral, I need to go to Earth."

"What for?" Keith asked.

"The woman in my dreams," he replied. "If there is any hope of saving Malva's life, it is with that woman. The ring on her finger, my memories, and that woman are all connected somehow. My destiny is within reach….I need to find her and fix what's broken." The alarms went off. Keith and Daniel ran from the room, John close behind. When they ran into the control room, a communication came in from Coran.

"Admiral," Coran said, "the situation on Earth has reached terrible proportions."

"What's going on?" Keith asked.

"The Space Marshall has been outed by the High Council," he replied. "Something terrible is…." The signal cut out, and after some static, another transmission came in on all frequencies and channels.

"Greetings, members of the Galaxy Alliance," Wade said. "Or should I say…future slaves of the New Drule Empire!"


	15. Episode 114

**_KathDMD -_**_ It seems like Kerza is going to go with them to figure things out, and if you read the Voltron Legacy episode...IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE KERZA SCENE! Read on!_

**_cubbieBlueMako -_**_ Indeed it was a cliffhanger, but I don't see it as a plausible ending to "I, Voltron". Malva was physically attached to the robeast, not mentally._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I do suggest reading all four stories, even if byou are just here for KA. It's the only way to get the true effect!_

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Sledge Hammer" by Fifth Harmony_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 114 : "Infinity"**

"Greetings, members of the Galaxy Alliance," Wade said. "Or should I say…future slaves of the New Drule Empire!" The entire team gasped at the sight.

"Wade," Keith said through clenched teeth.

"It's a one way communication broadcast," Pidge said. "I can't track down its source."

"As you are fully aware of by now," Wade continued, "Earth and all of its military forces are currently under the command of the Drule Supremacy, and therefore, under the direct command of myself. I'm sure you all have questions, but I'm sure your representatives on the High Council will be more than happy to answer them in due time. However, there is one thing that I am demanding in advance of our eminent takeover…the unconditional surrender of Lieutenant Lenora Stensson." He leaned in to the camera. "I know you are watching this, Lieutenant. You saw what was done to Hydra. I'm not afraid to do it again." He allowed a slight grin to tug at the corner of his mouth…as if he knew how infuriated Lenora felt at that moment. Keith clenched her fists in anger, but remained emotionless and stoic. "Planets of the farthest reaches of the known universe, be advised that beginning with the invasion of Earth and the annihilation of the Alliance Headquarters, the alliance itself will fall under the rule of the Drule Supremacy. You have two choices…..join us, or be destroyed. I will give you less than twenty-four hours to send your reply."

"Tell me this isn't happening," Marina said.

"Oh, it's happening, Lieutenant," Lance replied, "believe me."

"To the Voltron Force," Wade continued, "I, of course, ask for complete surrender of your vehicles, without resistance. Of course, I'm absolutely expecting you to instead launch an attack to save your precious 'Defenders of the Universe', but please be advised one way or another, they will be utterly destroyed….with you in it." He stepped back slightly. "As for you, Lieutenant, I believe you have already run into Commander Kala's ship, and are following her to Earth as we speak. You have one hour to report aboard her ship, or instead of firing on the Garrison, I'll begin with firing on civilians. Perhaps the entire city of New York should serve as reminder of exactly how hated you are."

"We can't let him get away with this," Larmina said.

"We won't," Daniel said. "I know the Space Marshall would never surrender to Wade. You can't trust that sleezoid."

"In the end," Wade continued, "this will all be for the best. The Alliance and the Supremacy united in one glorious empire…and empire under the rule of the worthy. Until then, ponder your decision carefully. A new era….has begun." The communication ended. Allura frowned in anger.

"We need to stop him," Keith said.

"You give the order, Keith, and we're in the lions and on our way," Daniel replied.

"Can you get Coran back on the com?" Allura asked.

"I'm trying," Pidge replied. Within moments, Coran reappeared on screen.

"I trust you all heard wade's little speech?" Coran asked.

"As much as I was forced to," Lance quipped. "I want him to become a stain on the floor."

"It's one of the only things we've ever agreed on," Keith added.

"The Space Marshall is with us, and has a plan to take back the Garrison," Coran said. "She's requested me to contact you for assistance."

"She's got it," Keith replied.

"You want us to launch the lions?" Daniel asked.

"Yes," Keith replied, "but Lance and I are going with you. Wade needs to be stopped….this time for good."

"I am coming as well," John said. "That woman is on Earth. Hopefully we will find her there. All I remember is that she has a tie to the Voltron Force. It's the only way to get my memories back."

"Agreed," Keith said. "Pidge, keep an eye on things here. Allura and Ginger will assist you. Everyone else, to the lions!" They ran for the chutes as they raised from the floor, and dove for the swings, headed for the launchers.

* * *

"Commander," the officer said, "I'm receiving an incoming transmission."

"Put it on screen," Kala ordered. When it came up, Lord Kanji himself displayed.

"Commander," he said, "I am presently on my way to meet with your ship as you begin operations. I trust everything is going well?"

"We have run into some difficulties, Your Excellency," she replied with a slight bow to the head, "but everything is going exactly as Sky Marshall Wade has planned."

"Good," Kanji replied. "Though I feel a strange force tugging at the fine wire holding this operation together, I do have faith in your ability to command. I trust the battle I will witness will be nothing short of epic."

"If all goes well," Kala replied, "The Voltron Force will have a rude awakening when they try to stop us. Not only do we have the might of their Galaxy Garrison at our disposal, but the technology of the Xyans. The might of the weapon is nothing short of incredible."

"Do not underestimate the power of their spirit, Commander," Kanji warned. "It is the only thing that strategy cannot predict."

* * *

As the Jet Voltron Force headed down to earth to complete its mission, Coran, who was seated in Yellow's co-pilot seat, leaned over to speak with the yound Drule pilot of Yellow, Dariana.

"Sergeant?" Coran said hesitantly. "Are you alright?" Dariana turned in her seat, her eyes still whited out.

"Hello, old friend," she replied.

"You're…..Kovinx?" he asked.

"I don't have much time," she replied. "My spirit resides here, though my body is long gone, and my soul torn asunder. I will help as much as I can, but it is up to the young one, my granddaughter, to carry out this legacy. This invasion must be stopped at all costs, or Arus and the entire universe will fall to Kanji."

"I understand," he replied, slightly fearful, yet slightly surprised.

"Coran," she said, "I'm proud of what you've become. Alfor would be proud of you as well. Please help me to guide Dariana down the path she must follow. She is the last of our kind. She and the spirits of old will save us all." He reached out to her, and in a flash, Dariana snapped out of the trance. She held her head. Tick jumped from her forearm and scurried to the console, switching the automatic pilot on.

"I'm not sure how this is possible," Coran said softly, "but I will do what I can." The ships flew down to the surface and landed near the White Lion.

* * *

The lions flew at top speed on a course for Earth. For the majority of the trip, there was an eerie silence, but looks of determination from all. After everything waxed had done to him, his family, and his princess, he vowed to end him here and now. Daniel could almost feel his rage, an emotion that was so unusual to the stoic and commanding Admiral Kogane. As they got within range, Larmina gasped.

"That thing….it looks like….the Void!" she shouted.

"That's what it is," Vince confirmed, checking his scanners. "wade must have done something to it. Not only am I detecting large power fluctuations from it, there appears to be some sort of Haggarium shielding surrounding it."

"That means we can't get close to it?" Daniel asked.

"It means protecting us is gonna be tough," Vince replied, "but I'll do my best."

"This thing is too big," Jenny Owens said, pulling the controls and trying to dodge the various attacks being launched by the Void at Vehicle Voltron.

"That's what SHE said!" Eddie shouted.

"Dude, she totally said that!" Chet laughed.

"Hey, that's MY line!" Tails shouted as a fully formed Jet Voltron flew up to meet the others.

"Question is, how do we stop it?" Aidan said, yanking the controls of Gladiator Voltron to avoid another barrage of missiles.

"We need to keep them occupied," Tails said. "If we can get aboard, I might be able to overload the Void generator. Once destroyed, we can take the entire planetoid out easily."

"We need more of us," Cliff commented.

"And more is what you're gonna get," Keith said over the com.

"Kogane!" Aidan shouted. "About time you showed up."

"Less talk, more giant robot smashing," Larmina commented.

"She's right," Daniel said. "Let's work together and buy Sergeant McGovern some time." The three Voltrons took off in different directions, drawing the Void's fire.

"They're splitting up, Sir," Dhaz shouted to Wade. "I'm trying to focus fire, but it's difficult with them on opposing sides."

"It's their strategy," Wade commented. "They're trying to cause you to lose focus. Perhaps you didn't notice that," Wade pointed at the blip heading to the gap in the shielding. "That would be the fourth Voltron trying to penetrate the shielding."

"Should I stop them?" Dhaz asked.

"No," he replied. "If I'm correct, Stensson has delivered herself to me on a silver platter." He pushed a button on his forearm, and was covered in high tech armor. "And all I need to do is meet her on the lower decks to collect." He ran from the room. Dhaz continued to fire on the Voltrons, trying to focus fire on one in particular….the Vehicle Team.

"Hang on, little dude," Hunk said to John, who was strapped into the copilot seat of Yellow Lion. "This is gonna get a bit rough."

"It looks like it's trying to focus its fire on the Vehicle Team," Marina commented.

"But why?" Daniel asked. "There must be a reason."

"I'm detecting a dramatic energy leak aboard one of their ships," Vince said, checking out the scanners. "Maybe Wade is targeting them, thinking they're the weakest link?"

"We have to draw its attention away from them," Keith said. Daniel nodded. "Vince, get ready to put some power in our shots. Marina, I'm gonna center you."

"I'm ready," she said, gripping the controls tightly.

"Form Red Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Red forming the head.

"Draw Magma Pistols!" she shouted. Voltron pulled the set of plasma pistols and began firing repeatedly.

"Keep focusing on the same point in the shield," Daniel said. "At some point, it's gonna turn to stop us."

"And when it does?" Larmina asked.

"Cross that bridge when we get there, 'Mina," Daniel replied. Vince gasped.

"Its powering up some huge cannon!" Vince shouted. "It's targeting the Vehicle Team!"

"Form Green Center!" Daniel shouted. Voltron reconfigured, Green forming the head.

"Boomerang Shield!" Vince shouted. The shield appeared quickly in Voltron's hand, and he threw it in the direction of Vehicle Voltron. The Shield whizzed between them, and the blast hit it, deflecting off it. The Vehicle Volotron arched back and fired an electro-thermal blast back at the Void, hitting the cannon and destroying it.

"Ensign, it's still focusing on the Vehicle Team," Aidan shouted.

"We know," Daniel replied.

"Keep trying to attract its attention, Dalloway," Keith shouted. "We need to buy Grend's team more time!"

"Form Black Center!" Daniel shouted, and Voltron reconfigured again, Black forming the head.

"Form Solar Combat Spears!" Jenny shouted, and the spears shot out of their holsters and into Voltron's hands. He put them together into one big spear. "Let's take out that main turret!" Voltron launched the spear, and Dhaz flinched as the spear struck and destroyed the turret, and the camera went dead.

"The Sky Marshall is not gonna like this," he grunted to himself. He tried to work the controls to continue swinging at the other Voltrons.

"Great shot!" Aidan shouted.

"Team effort," Jenny replied. "Plenty of practice."

"Pretty good for a cadet, eh?" Cliff laughed.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Vince shouted. "I'm detecting a strange power fluctuation from inside the core."

"Either that robeast is about to blast us big time," Daniel said, "or the other team was able to take out the Void Generator."

"Option B sounds like a good bet," Tails snarked as Jet Voltron came screeching past them.

"The Void Generator is down!" Lenora shouted. "Their weapons and shielding should be knocked out! Now, hit 'em with all we've got!"

"FORM BLAZING SWORD!" they shouted. Lion Voltron clanked red and green together, then pulled apart, the energy beam forming the sword. Vehicle Voltron grabbed the spinning laser blades, then combined them over his head, pulling downward to form the sword. Gladiator Voltron raised one arm, and the symbol for Alpha, Beta and gamma appeared, and the energy beam formed the Plasma Sword. Jet Voltron Red met Green at the hip and pulled away, the energy beam forming the sword.

"Take it out, Team!" JC shouted, flying forward, Sword charged.

"Hold it together a bit longer, guys," Jenny shouted. "Get it!" Vehicle Voltron flew at it full speed.

"Rah, frickin' rah!" Aidan shouted as Gladiator Voltron sped towards it.

"Shut Wade down for good!" Keith shouted. Daniel nodded, and Lion Voltron sped towards the Void as well.

"There's no power!" Dhaz shouted. "I'm getting outta here!" He ran from the room. Each Voltron sliced through an arm and a leg, leaving the remainder of the Void drifting precariously above the earth.

"One more, for good measure," Daniel said, connecting his Voltcom. "Speed Boost!"

"Power Boost!" Vince shouted, connecting his voltcom.

"Butt Kick Boost!" Larmina shouted, connecting her voltcom. The blazing sword glowed blue as they flew at top speed at the Void, crashing through the surface. Within seconds, the entire hemisphere was bisected, and exploded. One half fell from the sky and crashed into the ocean and slowly sank. The other half spun out of control and crash landed on the surface of the moon, burning with explosions. The Voltrons flew to where the small fleet hovered and awaited further orders.

"An end to the Void….and wade," Keith said.

"You don't think he survived that, do you?" Daniel asked. Keith began to have thoughts of doubt fill his head….but for now, it was over.

"All ships, separate and rendezvous at the main hangar," Lenora ordered over the com. "We have some cleaning up to do." As they did so, a small escape pod fired into the distance.

* * *

"I want to thank each and every one of you for making this all possible," Lenora said. "Without the help of the entire Voltron Force, Wade may have succeeded in his plans. Now, as I have said, we have a long road of cleanup ahead of us."

"What about the Council?" Sven asked.

"Are you going to disband it?" Romelle asked.

"No, Your Highness," Lenora replied. "We can't have the type of government run by one person. If we did that, we'd be no better than the Supremacy. No, we need to rebuild the Council from the ground up. Most of the Council has already handed in their resignation. I think some fresh faces, put in place by the people of the Alliance, will greatly help."

"I'm shocked about Ambassador Gali," Kelly said with her head bowed. "I can't believe he sided with Wade. And he's supposed to represent my people."

"Some men are easily swayed by greed and power," Lenora said. "But no matter what happens, we know that justice will always prevail….thanks to us, and Voltron." Coran walked up to Dariana, who was standing off with Seth listening.

"How are you feeling after your ordeal?" he asked. She turned, her eyes whited out again. Seth stepped back.

"Old friend, this was meant to be," she said. "My spirit has been one with my little friend here for quite some time." She grinned as she looked down at Tick, who made several sharp shrilly noises. "While I do my best to show her the path, my abilities are limited. She has the power within her, but until she learns to control it, she will be vulnerable to Kanji and his bretheren." She turned to Seth. "She will not remember or understand this, so you must do so for her. I know who you are, and the feelings you have for her. I ask this of you, more than anything….watch over her. Protect her. She will, over time, gain more and more control over the spirits, and her power will surpass even my own." She paused for a moment. "The one thing no one, not even Alfor, understood about Voltron is the spirits that intertwine with it. Every man and woman has different sides to them….different ties to the elements. These are represented by the Krelshi. The nature of this relationship is so complex, but is necessary. When my soul became one with the Defender, the sides of me that both loved and feared the aspects of my life were made manifest, and brought forth the creation of new life itself. Remember, Voltron lives and breathes just like you do, and every part of Voltron is every part of the team that unifies him. Please remember that…" She looked over at Coran. "….both of you." She looked over and saw a young Drule man approaching them with Daniel. Dariana closed her eyes, and nearly fainted. Seth caught her, and she tried to balance herself. When she opened her bright yellow eyes, they fixated on the man approaching.

"…Kerza?"

"Is that my name?" he asked. She looked at his left hand and saw that the ring was missing.

"Oh, Kerza," she replied. She looked over at Seth, and he nodded.

"You know him, Sergeant?" Coran asked.

"Intimately, Ambassador," she replied, instigating a look of confusion from him. She leaned into Kerza, softly whispering something in his ear. His eyes became dazed for a moment, then as she pulled away, he blinked several times.

"It's good to see you again, Dari," he replied.

"The counter I was able to place will not last for long," she replied. "Kerza, what happened? Why are you here?"

"After destroying Zarkon's ship," he replied, "I thought it would be the beginning of the end for the Supremacy. But I was wrong. Lord Kanji emerged, and took the place of the empreror. I did the only thing a man with no past or future could do….I formulated a plan to assassinate him, and headed to Doom. That's when Haggar found me. As you know, her magic cannot harm me, but she was able to snare me in a trap and imprison me. It was when her guards took the ring….I forgot everything."

"Do you know where the ring is?" she asked.

"A young Drule woman," he replied, "seemingly an apprentice of Haggar's, has it. She tried to destroy us with a robeast. I was able to save her from the wreckage. She has been severely poisoned with haggarium. The doctor said they don't understand how she's still alive."

"The ring," she replied. "The ring itself was made and enchanted to resist haggarium. That may be why she was able to soak up that much Haggarium and not die from it. Unfortunately, without the ring, you will forget everything again."

"I understand," he replied. "I know now how important it is to remember who I am. My past with you is important. If it wasn't for the ring itself, I wouldn't understand anything." He looked into her eyes. "I guess I have a choice to make then. My memories, or her life."

"You have to do what's right for you, Kerza," she replied. "And no matter what happens, I will always have our memories." He smiled, then gave her one last hug. He turned to Coran.

"I'm going to return to the others," Kerza said. "I don't know how long I have before I forget, but I will need to get back to Malva as soon as possible. I think I know what I need to do." He walked away.

"His name is Kerza?" Coran asked her. She nodded.

"He is the son of Keezor," she replied. "In another time….he was my fiancée."

* * *

Two ships carefully sailed through space, heading back towards planet Doom. Aboard one, Commander Kala anxiously awaited the communication that was about to come through. As the viewscreen came up, she held her breath.

"Commander," Lord Kanji said, "it appears the Sky Marshall's plan didn't go the way he'd hoped."

"I apologize for this failure, Your Excellency," she replied, bowing her head. "Our intention was not to disappoint you."

"While this was a setback," he said, "I do not view this as a failure, Commander." She raised an eyebrow. "On the contrary, between the destruction of Hydra, and the fear instilled in the planets of the Galaxy Alliance, I feel that, at least for my benefit, and that of the Supremacy, the mission was still somewhat successful. Once we arrive back on Doom, we will need to work on a strategy to eliminate the Council."

"Eliminate?" Kala asked. "Are you planning to overthrow the kingdoms?"

"I simply plan to unify the Empire, Commander," he replied. "The first task will be to find a new ruler for Korronith."

"That may not be necessary, my lord," she replied. "Sky Marshall Wade is alive."


	16. Episode 115

_**KathDMD -** I can so see Lance saying that in Voltron Force. Wade indeed needs to be a stain on the floor. Kerza is a tragic figure….but nothing explains it more than this episode._

_**cubbieBlueMako -** I write him as I hear him in Voltron Force. He has a voice no one can forget, and I portray him as such. By the way, Keith is going home this week….and Allura is expecting. ;)_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- My muse has been missing for three weeks now. It's hard to write without her in my ear._

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 115 : "Return of the King"**

Christiane walked up to Keith as he finished a conversation with one of the security guards. He turned to meet her, and the two hugged.

"I missed you so much," she said. "How have things been on Arus?"

"Somewhat chaotic," he admitted. "Allura and Alexander are doing fine though." She blinked twice.

"And the new addition?" she asked. He laughed.

"I could never hide anything from you," he said. "The pregnancy has been fine, a few stressful moments not withstanding. In fact, Allura is due in the next few weeks."

"That's great news," she replied.

"I heard there's an issue with your Voltron," Keith said.

"Yes," she replied. "Keith…I was trying to diagnose the system issues, and when I touched the cold metal, it was as if I were touching the skin of a living being. I saw things I didn't completely understand."

"What damage was there?' he asked.

"A robeast managed to penetrate something in the Strato Weapons Module," she replied. "It followed by a strange energy leak….and strange power surges have been causing configuration changes with Voltron's weapons." Keith's eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"Could it be possible….that the vehicles have a nexus?" he asked.

"They're alive, Keith," she replied. "I don't know how or why, but they are. Added to that, I had a vision of Alfor. I saw him as a young man talking to Dr. Loring. I think he was trying to create and grow his own nexus crystals." She looked him in the eye. "The immediate problem though is the power leak. Chip took a look at the damage, and strange information is being released that even the universal translators can't decipher. He has no idea how to patch it, and is afraid if we attempt to, we could do more damage in the process. Chip mentioned Ariel…."

"The Blacksmith," he said. "He must have contacted Pidge. We had a similar issues when Wade smashed a hole in Black Lion with a corrite projectile. I'm unsure of the ties your Voltron has with Ariel, but if you saw Alfor in your vision talking to Dr. Loring, maybe there's more to Vehicle Voltron's creation than we know about." As he finished talking, Marina came running up to him.

"Keith," she said, "we need to get everything together for takeoff. Coran needs to speak to Allura in person about the Council, and suggesting a way to unite the Alliance planets in the Denubian…." She turned to look at Christiane. Christiane looked back at her. "Oh, I don't think we've officially met. Lieutenant Marina DeVille, Red Lion pilot." She held out her bare hand to shake. Christiane felt something odd, then reached out herself, grasping her hand. Without so much as a flinch, a surge of everything filled Christiane's mind. She saw visions of Marina's past, but the ones that stuck out were visions of her older brother. Keith realized he hadn't told Christiane about Marina.

"And this is Christiane Aki," he said, "my…." Christiane pulled Marina to her and wrapped her arms around her. She closed her eyes and hugged her.

"Sister," she said softly. Marina felt confused.

"What?" Marina said carefully.

"Christiane is my little sister," he replied. "Maybe I should let you two talk. I need to talk to Len quick before we depart." He walked away. Christiane pulled back and looked into Marina's eyes.

"Let's start from the beginning," Christiane said, preparing herself to explain to Marina who she is, and how they are sisters.

* * *

Haggar walked down the cold dark steps leading into her laboratory below Castle Doom. As she entered the lab, she let out a sigh.

"That wretch of a girl managed to land herself into the hands of the Voltron Force," she griped to herself. "All of that effort wasted. No doubt Lord Kanji will be furious once he returns from Earth after the Drule Force's defeat there." She walked up to one of the tables, and started intently into one of the beakers. "Perhaps his wrath will be eased by an ingenious plan to put a stop to the Voltron Force and retrieve my young apprentice from their snooping hands. Perhaps a more deceptive approach is necessary to turn this situation around." She picked up the beaker and took a nearby vial. She dropped a small amount of the substance in the mixture in the beaker. She set the vial back in the holder, then reached into her robes, pulling a corrite dagger from it. The blade glistened in the little bit of flickering light in the room as she lifted it up, then set the blade carefully in her hand and pulled swiftly, slicing through her flesh. The blood oozed from her hand with an eerie glow. She tapped the beaker with the blade, dropping several drops of blood into the mixture. In moments, it began to violently react and fizzle, nearly flowing out of the container.

"Excellent," she said to herself. "With this potion, I can contaminate the water supply of their precious Castle of Lions, turning every human who drinks it into a mindless zombie! A mindless zombie that will blindly follow my orders without question! Should one of the Voltron Force take a mere sip…they will practically deliver the Lions right to me! Then I can finally put an end to Voltron, regain my full power, and destroy Arus once and for all!" She cackled loudly, and Cova let out a screech, seemingly in agreement.

* * *

The Lions left Earth on their way back to Arus. Everyone seemed quiet. Kerza let out a defeated sigh.

"Something the matter?" Keith asked.

"I'm already starting to forget," Kerza replied. "You need to understand something, Admiral. In my time line, Sergeant Kovinx and I were engaged to be married. That ring, which she enchanted, is all I have left."

"Enchanted?" Keith asked. "You mean it has some sort of spell?"

"When I came here, the Haggar from my time line placed a spell on me, wiping my memory," he explained. "The ring brought my memory back….being close to the one thing that anchored me to reality. As long as I carried it, I would never forget. Now….her memories are fading again, and soon, I won't even know who I am again."

"Where is the ring?" Keith asked.

"That woman has it," he replied. "Malva. I left it on her finger. I felt strangely attracted to it, and at the time I didn't understand why. When I came into contact with her inside that robeast….my memories awakened briefly."

"Dr. Ecron said he didn't understand how she was able to survive with the amount of haggarium in her blood," Keith said. "Do you think the ring may have something to do with it?"

"I don't know, Admiral," he replied. "But I have a tough decision ahead of me."

"What's that?" he asked. Daniel listened intently, but kept quiet, continuing to fly towards Arus.

"I told you I am starting to forget everything again," Kerza replied. "Without the ring, I will become what I was when you found me. The decision is whether to allow her to keep the ring, but forget everything I am and was, and risk the entire future of this universe….or take back the ring, and allow that girl to die."

* * *

Coran sat quietly in Red's cockpit as Marina continued to fly with the others. A light signaling tone filled the cabin.

"We have an incoming message from Arus," Marina said. "Ambassador?" He nodded, then pressed a button, and Allura appeared on the screen in front of him.

"Coran," she said, "how well did things go on Earth?"

"The Voltron Force was able to help the Space Marshall regain control of Galaxy Garrison," he replied. "She has chosen to rebuild the High Council from the ground up, and has requested I meet with you to assist with finding representatives from our surrounding worlds in the Alliance to participate in this new Council."

"And what of Wade?" she asked. "Form trillions of miles away, I could still feel Keith's anger. I know you faced him."

"Wade was behind it from the start," Coran said. "His cohorts infected most of the Council with his idealism, and idealism which nearly destroyed the Alliance. But with the help of Voltron, Wade has been destroyed for good."

"You must know how good it is to hear you say that, Coran," she replied. "Sky Marshall Wade has been an outspoken opponent to Voltron from the start, and has proven to be more than just an outspoken politician. Just knowing there is one less tyrant in this universe puts my heart and the hearts of the people of Arus at ease."

"As well it should," Coran agreed. "The Admiral is in quite a hurry to get back to you, by the way."

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "Dr. Ercon is pretty sure this baby is going to want out pretty soon. It could be any day now."

"Hopefully the stress hasn't gotten to you, Your Highness," he replied. "I shall alert you upon our arrival."

"Thank you, Coran," she replied. "I expect to be fully debriefed when you arrive, and look forward to all you have to say about Space Marshal Hawkins' idea for a new High Council."

* * *

Dr. Ercon walked into the room to see the nurse checking vital signs and keying things into her datapad.

"Any news, nurse?" he asked.

"No, Doctor," she replied. "She's still in a deep coma. I checked her vitals, and aside from a slightly elevated heart rate for someone in her state, and the obvious signs of the intense infection, everything else about her appears normal."

"I can't understand it either," he replied. "All the testing shows that the hagarrium levels in her blood stream are so toxic it could kill her ten times over. But she's still living and breathing. By all accounts, she should either be stone cold dead, or up doing bloody jumping jacks."

"I'll continue to monitor her signs for you, Doctor," she replied.

"Thank you, Nurse," he said. "I'll check in with you in a few hours. I need to go over my paperwork for the week, and pay a visit to Her Majesty to conduct her final routine screening before the child is born." He began to walk away.

"Have you found out whether it's a boy or a girl?" she asked. He stopped for a moment and laughed.

"The Admiral and the Queen said they wanted to be surprised," he said. "And so will you." He walked out of the room, and she let out a sigh. She looked at the screen again, then saw Malva's heart rate begin to rapidly increase.

"That's odd," she said to herself softly. She grabbed her wrist and began to take her pulse. "Drule physiology isn't that mucgh different from our own, but these readings can't be…." Suddenly, Malva sat up in the bed, grabbing the nurse by the neck. She lifted her off the ground as she stood up and threw her across the room. Breathing heavily, Malva ripped the wires and needles, then stopped for a moment, staring at the ring on her left hand, glowing madly. On instinct, she quickly ran from the room, the nurse lying limply on the ground.


	17. Episode 116

_**KathDMD -** We already had a talk about most of what you had to say, especially about Kerza. I will add to that the fact that I always tend to put nods to other writers stories in my work, as I enjoy them so much, and people love continuity. The "bond" is one thing I've always admired, and am always glad to use it as a nod to cubbie's universe, because KA. ;) _

_**cubbieBlueMako -** Read on...the new arrival may be sooner than you think..._

**_animebookchic -_** _Brief indeed. But as always, things are about to pick up!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I've been looking forward to showing this off, and I think everyone will enjoy reading it. The several story arcs I have going on in Lion Force are going to be action packed and dramatic as always. _

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Sick Like Me" by In This Moment_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 116 : "Castle Chaos"**

Sunset gave way to the darkness near the Castle of Lions. In the midst of this, a lone Doomite scurried carefully through the woods close to Lake Arus. He carefully made his way to the water's edge and peered deep within its recesses.

"Haggar said that this potion will bring utter chaos to those living in the castle," he said to himself. "Within time, the mixture will spread, contaminating the entire lake. If it finds its way into the water supply for the castle, we may not need to invade at all…those inside, including the Voltron Force, will become our own personal army." He uncorked the vial, and an eerie purple smoke lifted from it. He held it away from his face, fearing whatever the substance was might infect him as well. He reached over the water's surface and carefully emptied the contents into lake Arus. Within moments, the purple glow spread across the surface, then dissipated beneath the surface.

"Could it have failed?" he asked himself. He walked to a nearby tree and pulled a leaf from it. He tossed it into the water, and it gently floated on the surface….for a moment. Soon afterwards, it started to fizzle, and it soon disintegrated, as if it were being eaten by acid. A wicked grin appeared across his face.

"Now to report back to Haggar," he said to himself. "She will want to know that the water has been successfully altered." He ran from the area, being careful once again to stay out of sight of the Arusian Guard and the proximity alarms.

* * *

Malva ran frantically through the halls of the castle. She had only been there once before, and in her state of rage, could not for a second think strait, let alone realize where she was running. Only one thing raced through her mind…that she needed to get out. She ran down a hallway and came to a stop at the end…a solid, sealed door blocking her way.

"You should be taking it easy instead of bothering with royal affairs," Nanny scolded as she placed Alexander into the playpen. "And stop concerning yourself with the Voltron Force! You're done flying around in a lion and putting yourself in danger. You should worry more about taking care of your children and your family."

"I'm doing just that, Nanny," she replied. "But I can't just throw my arms up and walk away from some things. I have obligations….you know this."

"Your obligation to Alexander and the young one you're carrying comes first," she huffed. "When Admiral Kogane returns, you should have he and Coran handle your affairs, at least until the baby is born."

"Nanny, you're overreacting," Allura replied.

"You are in no condition to be fighting," she snapped back.

"If something came through that door right now," Allura snapped back, "you better believe I'd be ready for it." Just then, the door smashed off its hinges and flew across the room. Nanny barely dodged out of the way of it. Malva stood in the doorway. She opened her eyes wide, and the purple glow from them caught Allura's attention immediately.

"My voltcom!" she shouted to Nanny. Nanny was frozen in fear, but saw the voltcom on the charging cradle on the nightstand next to the playpen. Allura made a dash to the edge of the bed, and a panel opened up. She pulled a blaster and fired at Malva, but Malva was able to dive out of the way and roll to her feet. Nanny ran to the nightstand and grabbed the Voltcom and threw it as Malva came at her. Malva grabbed Nanny and tossed her like a rag doll across the room. She landed with a thud, knocked out. Allura caught the Voltcom, and it latched onto her forearm. Malva turned to see Alexander looking up at her. The madness took over, and in a fit of rage, she grabbed the child and lifted him up, intending to either use him as a shield, or harm him, she didn't know. But Alexander reached out and touched her forearm, and the ring glowed. For a split second, Malva's eyes returned to normal. She looked down at Alexander, who was staring back at her, wide eyed. She was then struck in the back, dropping Alex back into the playpen. She fell to her knees, and frozen in place….Allura's hands still firmly on the bow and the next arrow she was about to fire. The guards rushed in and surrounded Allura.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" one asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "Help Nanny! She's been hurt!" Without warning, Allura doubled over in pain. She leaned against the wall, and began to slump to the floor. Two guards lifted her up carefully and helped her from the room, one more grabbed Alexander, and three hefted Nanny and carried her from the room as well. Two remaining guards watched over Malva who was out cold, frozen solid and passed out on the floor.

* * *

The lions quickly approached Arus, and the pilots and their passengers were relieved to finally be home.

"I can't wait to set foot in the castle again," Daniel said. "Don't get me wrong, I love flying the lion, but I actually need a breather."

"You?" Larmina snarked. Vince laughed.

"I just wanna get something to eat," Hunk interjected. "I didn't have anything since we left Earth."

"None of us have," Marina snarked.

"Alright, alright," Keith said with a slight laugh. "We're almost there, so when we touch down, we can…" The com opened.

"Keith," a familiar voice boomed over the com.

"Lance?" Keith asked. "What's going on? Is there trouble?"

"More than you know," he replied. "That Drule chick came to and busted into your quarters."

"Where's Allura and Alexander?" he asked, slightly panicked yet slightly annerved.

"Alexander is in the nursery," Lance replied. "Nanny was hurt bad, and Allura collapsed as well. Dr Ecron is working with them, but he hasn't told us much yet."

"I'm on my way," Keith replied. He ended the com and gave Daniel a stern look.

"Way ahead of you, Admiral," he replied as Black picked up speed, making a speeding beeline for the castle.

* * *

A Drule officer walked into Haggar's lab. She looked up from her cauldron, almost completely aware of the news he was about to deliver.

"I have a report from your contact on Arus," he said. "He states that the mission was a success, and that the lake is now contaminated."

"Excellent," she replied. "Now comes the next part of my plan. With the water poisoned, and the castle in a frenzy, we'll launch my latest robeast and cover the entire countryside in sludge!" She turned to eye up a monster in a glass tube, barely conscious. He looked humanoid in form, but was covered in a thick molasses-like goop. "Even if they manage to avoid my watery trap, my robeast will cover them in sludge, rendering them inoperable! Then I can finally destroy them and the spirits they contain, and absorbing the power that was rightfully mine!"

"Your orders, Your Excellency?" he asked.

"Prepare the Robeast coffin," she ordered. "I want to launch as soon as possible!" She cackled as he saluted and left the room.

* * *

The doors to the chutes flung open, and the team ran from them into the control room, making a beeline for the door. Keith was in the lead, but turned the corner and bumped right into Lance.

"Where is she?" Keith asked.

"The Drule, or your wife?" he asked.

"Both," he replied angrily.

"The Drule chick has been moved to the high security holding cell," Lance replied. "We couldn't bring her back to Med, for obvious reasons. As for Allura, Dr Ecron is still in there with her. From what I was told, she wasn't harmed, but the stress may have had an effect on her. Aside from that, he hasn't told us anything, and won't let us in."

"Kerza," Keith said, turning to him, "Do you think you know what might have happened?"

"Happened?" he asked. "I'm….not sure. Admiral, everything's a bit fuzzy….is that my name?"

"He's losing his memories again," Daniel said.

"He said the ring was the thing bringing back the memories," Keith said. "Hunk, take Daniel and Kerza and go find Pidge. Have him escort Kerza to the holding cell where Malva is. Maybe he can figure this out. I'll stay here with Lance and wait to hear what's going on with Allura."

"What about the rest of us?" Marina asked. "No offense, but we ARE family. And you still need to talk to me about Christiane." He let out a sigh.

"I'll contact you the minute I hear something," he replied, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I promise. I'll explain everything." Marina stood there for a moment, then relented. Larmina followed, unsure of whether to follow Daniel, or just get some sleep. Keith turned back to Lance.

"Lance, if anything happens to her or the baby…." he started to say.

"It won't," Lance assured him. "Allura's tough. And with parents like the two of you, the kid's probably indestructible."

"If anything happens to them, I'll never forgive myself," he replied. The two walked back into the waiting area.


	18. Episode 117

_**KathDMD -** You're reading my mind again, love. Alex does have a connection to all of this, though you and I bioth know he is not a full seer..._

_**cubbieBlueMako -** Speaking of new arrivals..._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- The storyline is getting intense as Haggar's plan goes into effect. Will Daniel and the team be able to stop the threat? And will Malva's intentions be revealed?_

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 117 : "Tainted Love"**

Keith paced back and forth in the waiting area, full of anxiety. Lance sat there watching him pace, knowing full well his friend was practically losing his mind. It was moments later that Dr. Ecron stepped through the door.

"Admiral," he said, "everything is fine."

"And the baby?" he asked. The doctor gave him a smirk.

"Doing fine," he said. "Because she's still premature and slightly under acceptable weight, we are keeping her in Neo-Natal for a time."

"She had the baby?" Keith asked, a bit of excitement in his voice. Dr. Ecron nodded.

"It was a bit early, but she did begin to go ito labor," he replied. "I'm not sure if it was the stress, or some sort of impact, but rest assured, Admiral, both Her Majesty and the baby are perfectly fine." Keith breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I see them?' he asked.

"Of course," he replied. "I would ask, though, that Commander McClain remain here. We need to limit the number of visitors at the moment, both due to medical reasons, as well as the fact that the nurse was hurt in the attack by that Drule Patient. We're slightly understaffed at the moment."

"Go on," Lance said. "Just tell 'Lura and the baby I said hi." He turned to leave, but let out a small chuckle. "I wonder what I'm gonna go through when Ginger finally has our baby." He left the room laughing. Keith followed Dr. Ecron into the recovery area.

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" Pidge asked, leading Daniel and Kerza towards the Security area where Malva was being held.

"I'm not sure of anything," Kerza said, looking around, unsure.

"Keith said to bring Kerza to Malva," Daniel said. "He said that being close to that ring might jog his memory, and he may be able to find out who she is and why she attacked Allura."

"I hope you're right," Pidge said. "While it didn't take much to get her down here when she was passed out, when she was awake, she wrecked Med, wreaked havoc in Allura's quarters, and nearly killed her, Nanny and Alexander. From what I heard, the amount of power she had was nothing short of incredible."

"Haggarium poisoning is nothing to mess with," Daniel replied as they continued walking. "I should know." He looked at his hands, looking at several scars on them from fights he had been in due to his own haggarium rage barely a few years ago. They walked up to the cell and found her asleep.

"Is that….her?" Kerza asked. Pidge nodded.

"I'll go in with him," Daniel said. "If she wakes up, I may be the only thing to keep her from tearing him to shreds."

"What am I doing here again?" Kerza asked. Pidge tapped the codes into the panel, and the field dropped. After Daniel and Kerza entered, the field reactivated. Daniel motioned towards her.

"Walk up to her," Daniel said. "Look at the ring on her hand." Kerza did as he asked. He grabbed her hand, and as he moved it within vision, he blinked a few times, and nearly dropped it.

"She's fragile," Kerza said, feeling how soft her skin was, yet noticing how tense the muscles beneath the skin had become. "I….there's no doubt, if I remove it, she will die." He hesitated, looking back at Daniel. "I….I don't want to do it."

"Is there any other way to save her without having your memories wipe again?" Daniel asked. "Moreso, do you think she'll want to survive with that much haggarium in her? It's worse than poison….because it doesn't just consume your body, but your mind and soul as well."

"I'm torn, Daniel," he replied. "My Dari always told me to do the right thing. She wanted me to always remember, because her memories always give me strength. But if I take the ring, I will be sentencing this girl to death. I couldn't live with myself."

"I don't know what to tell you, man," Daniel said. "The madness has taken her so far away. I know from experience….that maybe whoever she really is is trapped inside that haggarium filled nightmare. But being that far gone….farther than even Lotor…."

"But even Lotor was cured," Kerza muttered.

"From what I hear his dose was high," Daniel replied, "higher than me, and even higher than Sven. But her….I can't even imagine the hell she is going through right now." Kerza touched her face with his hand, and it felt warm. She instinctively pressed against it.

"There has to be a way," Kerza said. "There has to be."

* * *

Keith walked up to Allura, who was laying in bed.

"Allura," he said with relief. "What happened? Are you alright?" She looked up him and smiled.

"We're fine," she replied. "They're running some tests on the baby. When they are done, they will bring her out for a feeding. Because she's so tiny, they want to keep her for observation."

"I understand," Keith said. "Lance said you were attacked?"

"Malva," she replied. "She burst through the door. She managed to wallop Nanny, then went after Alexander. She stopped for a moment, and I was able to hit her with a few frost shots, and stop her in her tracks."

"Alexander is alright too?" Keith asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"I sent Kerza with Daniel down to check on Malva," he said. "I want to get some answers."

"Do you think it's the haggarium?" she asked. "Romelle used to tell me about the fits Sven used to have, and Daniel…."

"I remember what happened to Daniel," he said. "That's actually why I sent him to guard Kerza while he tries to talk to Malva. Maybe between the two of them, they can find out her motivations, and if it's the haggarium that's causing her outbursts, maybe they can find a way to stop it."

"I hope so," she said. "But for now, it's best she stay confined. We can't risk another incident like this."

"Exactly," Keith replied. He looked around the room. "Guess there's no coffee, huh?" Allura laughed.

"Nope," she replied. "There's water if you're thirsty."

"Not my first choice," he chuckled. He walked over to the sink and filled a nearby plastic cup.

* * *

_ Malva opened her eyes, but the only thing she saw was lifting up a vial and carefully putting drops of blood from a daggar into it. She watched as it frothed and fizzled, the mizture obviously volatile._

_ "Excellent," she said to herself. "With this potion, I can contaminate the water supply of their precious Castle of Lions, turning every human who drinks it into a mindless zombie! A mindless zombie that will blindly follow my orders without question! Should one of the Voltron Force take a mere sip…they will practically deliver the Lions right to me! Then I can finally put an end to Voltron, regain my full power, and destroy Arus once and for all!" She cackled loudly, and Cova let out a screech, seemingly in agreement._

_ "Oh no…" she thought to herself, "…what have I done?"_

* * *

Malva's eyes opened without warning. Kerza backed off, and she sat up abruptly. Daniel's Voltcom glowed, and his claws came out, ready for anything.

"You….have to….stop it…." She eeked out.

"Stop what?' Kerza asked. "Tell me, what is it?" She looked into his eyes, and he could see her struggling….struggling to maintain control.

"The water…." She eeked out. "You have to…..the water…..will…" He leaned in to listen. "…KILLL YOU!" Her eyes bugged out, her entire body surrounded by a purple glow. She lunged at Kerza, who barely dodged her. She immediately collapsed, and passed out again. Daniel checked her.

"She's asleep again," he said. He looked over at Kerza. "What did she mean about the water?" Kerza thought for a moment, then gasped.

"The water supply!" he shouted. They ran to the door as Pidge lowered the field, and they ran off as soon as it was back up.

* * *

"It's not coffee," Keith laughed, "but it'll have to do." He put the cup to his lips and took a long sip.


	19. Episode 118

_**KathDMD -** You and I did have a discussion about the Kerza/Malva dynamic. Believe me when I say there is more to the story._

_**cubbieBlueMako -** No one is safe from Haggar's magic. Well, except maybe Kerza, but he's not a Voltron Pilot. :P_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 118 : "Something in the Water"**

Pidge, Daniel and Kerza ran through the halls on their way to Med. As they ran in, Keith took a long sip of water from the glass.

"Keith no!" Pidge shouted. Keith dropped the glass, and without warning, fell to the floor. Daniel ran to him.

"Keith!" he shouted. "Keith, wake up!" He felt for a pulse, and heard him breathing. "He's alive, but he's out cold." They all picked him up and helped him onto a nearby bed.

"What happened?" Allura said, struggling to get up.

"It's the water, Allura," Pidge said. "There's something in the water." He ran to the sink and filled a small container. "I'm going to have to take this up to the lab to analyze it. But I have a hunch that Haggar has something to do with it."

"That slimy witch," Daniel said. "Don't worry, Allura. We'll figure this out."

"Thank you," she said. She then gasped. "The baby…..and Alexander….if the water is tainted…."

"I'll stop it," Daniel said, running from the room.

"If the water is tainted," she said, "the formula is tainted."

"We need to fix this problem quick before the entire castle starves to death," Pidge said. "Oh no, we need to get the word out. If anyone else drinks the water, they'll get sick too!" He and Kerza ran from the room. She looked over at Keith.

"Oh, Keith…" she said as she passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

A robeast coffin approached the countryside and landed in an open field. It opened, and a slimy sludge seeped out of it, standing tall and taking a humanoid form. It began to walk towards the city, covering everything in its path with a thick layer of sludge.

_ That's it, my creation….cover the entire area with mud and sludge! Destroy every living thing in your path! Crush the people and their will! Then, lay waste to the castle of Lions, and everyone in it!_

Haggar's cackling could be heard echoing throughout the area as the monster continued on its destructive path.

* * *

Pidge came into the lab with Kerza, Daniel showing up a moment later.

"I made sure the kids didn't drink the water," Daniel said, "but I've already seen several of the guards passed out in the halls. I let Dr Ecron know."

"I'm getting calls from all over the castle," Pidge said. "Reports of people getting sick and fainting after drinking the water. I have to analyze it and find out what's causing the condition." The alarms started going off. "Oh no." he ran to a nearby panel and keyed in a few commands, then brought up a holo-monitor. He expanded it and turned it to show Daniel and Kerza. "The scanners are picking up a huge monster on its way to the city. It's already destroyed the countryside, and is headed in the direction of the castle."

"I'll grab the others and get to the lions," Daniel said.

"Daniel, be careful!" Pidge shouted as Daniel ran out the door. "We don't know what this thing is, or what its capable of!" Daniel ran to the control room, meeting up with Marina, Vince, Hunk and Larmina.

"Guys, there's some sort of monster attacking the countryside, and it's headed for the city," he said. "We have to stop it."

"What is it?" Vince asked.

"It looks like a ball of….sludge," Daniel said.

"Ew," Larmina replied, making a face. "Maybe Blue's water cannon can help clean things up."

"Good idea, Larmina," Daniel said. "Let's get to the lions!" They ran to their chutes as the center console rose into the air. They grabbed the swings and rode them to the shuttles, taking them to the lions. Upon locking into the cockpits, they each gripped the yokes, their voltcoms lighting up, and the engines of the lions fired, bringing them to life. That is, all except for Blue Lion.

"What's going on?" Larmina asked. "Blue isn't responding!"

"What's it doing?" Daniel asked.

"Absolutely nothing," she replied, yanking controls and pushing buttons. "It's as if I have no power at all. I'm submerged in water, Blue's power source, but the power cells aren't charging….not even a spark!"

"Submerged in water…." Daniel said softly to himself. His eyes widened. "Larmina, stay put! We're on the way!"

"Do you know something I don't?" she asked angrily.

"Larmina," he said, "the lake has been contaminated. The entire supply of drinking water for the castle was compromised. Whatever is in the water has infected the lake….and may have infected the lion!"

"Great," she said, exasperated.

"We need to get Blue out of the lake and get it to fresh water somehow," Daniel said.

"What about the robeast?" Marina asked.

"Marina," he said, "you and Hunk go check it out. If you think you know a way to stop it, by all means try. But we have to know if it has any weaknesses. Be careful." Marina nodded.

"Right," she replied. "Let's roll, Hunk." Red and Yellow flew off towards the city.

"Right behind ya, 'rina," he replied.

"Vince, come with me to the lake," he said.

"Why?" he asked.

_"Because I think whatever tainted the water may be haggarium based,"_ Daniel replied telepathically. _"If it is, I'll need your help to neutralize it."_ Black and Green headed towards Lake Arus.

* * *

The robeast approached a building and took a mighty swing. Like a wrecking ball, its globbed fist smashed the building, sending debris and sledge toppling to the ground. The people ran in terror as the beast let out a mighty roar before smashing more buildings.

"Ugh," Marina said, "this thing is even uglier in person."

"Maybe that'll make it easier to smash?" Hunk asked. Marina shrugged. The lions flew in, firing at it with their weapons.

"Let's see if we can get its attention," Marina said. "Ingitinng Lion Torch!" Red fired pure flames at the robeast, and though the flames did little to stop it, it did turn to confront them.

"Yep, he sees us," Hunk said. "Now what?"

"I'll lead him up the hill," she said. "See if you can grab some boulders from the quarry. Maybe we can break it up."

"Heavy lifting," Hunk said. "Sound right to me." Yellow took off for the nearby quarry.

"Now it's time to see how fast Red can move," she said to herself. She continued to fire on the robeast, and it followed her. She was able to expertly dodge its swings, backing off to lead the beast up the hill. Hunk had Yellow wrap its tail around a boulder, and dragged it into the air with him. As the beast went to swat Red again, Yellow came screaming in.

"Eat this, you giant mudpie!" Hunk shouted. Yellow spun around, flinging the boulder at the robeast. It hit the robeast, breaking it up, and turning it into a mudslide that rolled down the hill, finally coming to a rest at the bottom like a pile of goo.

"We did it!" Marina said, red and yellow landing nearby. "We stopped it!" Suddenly, the globules began to pull together, and a hand rose out of the goop and grabbed Red. Then another wrapped around yellow. The robeast stood tall, holding the lions firmly in its grasp."

"I don't think we got it," Hunk replied. The breast let out a mighty roar, squeezing the lions tightly, Marina and Hunk fighting the controls and fighting for their lives.

_To be continued…_


	20. Episode 119

_**KathDMD -** It's more complicated than that, but you'll see as it all unfolds. The plot will unravel with the robeast and the lake, but Blue...she's a whole 'nother story._

_**cubbieBlueMako - **Vince would be an obvious choice to save the day, right? But let's see how it unfolds..._

**_selena devargo -_**_ Marina's not done yet! Read on!_

**_animebookchic -_**_ Developments are indeed on the way...Keith drinking tainted water, Blue compromised, and a robeast that is putting our favorite team to the test? I do hope this isn't the end of one of our fan favorites...DUN DUN DUUUUUN!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 119 : "Black and Blue"**

In the Castle of Lions, the communications console flashed. Pidge opened the com, frazzled.

"This is Head Tech Sergeant Sparks of the S. S. Defender calling the castle of Lions," Sparks said. "Do you read me?"

"Yes, Tech Sergeant," Pidge replied. "What's going on?"

"Commander Aki needs to speak to Admiral Kogane," he said.

"The Admiral is in Med," Pidge replied. "We are currently experiencing a situation here. What is it about?"

"The Air Team has been trapped in a cave on Ariel by the Krelshi," Sparks said, "and he needs to know anything you know about the Forge."

"Things are hectic here right now," he replied, "but I'm sending you my logs. Pass them on to the Commander for me. Hopefully they'll be of some use."

"Are you in need of any assistance?' Sparks asked.

"We have things handled for the moment," Pidge replied. "We'll let you know if we need you. Castle out." The com ended, and Pidge went back to the testing he was working on. "I just hope I can figure out what's in this water before it's too late."

* * *

"There's got to be something I can do from here," Larmina said to herself. She began keying things into the nearby console, and observing the readings. "Power levels are really low. It's as if Blue hasn't been charging. Hmmm….' She sat back down and connected her Voltcom to the console. "Maybe I can jump start Blue, and get her out of the water." The voltcon glowed for a moment, then sparked and smoked, shorting out. "Great."

"What's going on down there, Larmina?" Daniel asked.

"I tried to use my Voltcom to jump start the Lion," she replied. "It's fried. I might lose communication."

"Just sit tight," Daniel said. "Vince and I are almost to the lake. We're going to try to find a way to pull you out of there." Her voltcom suddenly went dead after one last spark.

"Daniel!" she shouted. "Are you still there?" There was only silence. "Great." She slumped into her chair and reached into her pack and pulled out a bottle and took a sip of water. She suddenly stopped when an idea came into her head.

"I've lost Larmina," Daniel said.

"I hope she's OK," Vince said. They climbed out of the lions shortly after landing near the shore. They walked up to the edge, finally getting a glimpse of the purple glow emanatuing from the lake depths.

"It's contaminated alright," Daniel said. Vince turned to see the lions slump.

"Contaminated with Haggarium," Vince said. "And Keith ingested this stuff. Not good at all."

"Can you do anything about it?" Daniel asked.

"I'd need Voltron's help to cleanse the entire lake," Vince replied. "But we need Blue Lion."

"Larmina…." Daniel said softly.

"It's so crazy it might work," Larmina said, opending the few bottles of water she had in her pack. She dumped the spring water into an access panel at the back of the cockpit. "Come on…..work…." A faint groan was heard throughout the hull of the ship. Moments later, she felt the rumble of the engine trying to power on. She watched as the nexus began providing power, and the lion coming to life, albeit weak. She ran to the seat and strapped herself in. "Well, it's now or never. Let's get out of this mess." She smirked as she pulled the yokes, and Blue took off from the platform and quickly headed for the surface.

"Could we maybe get a tow rope down to the lion?" Vince asked.

"If we do," Daniel replied, "I'll be the one to go down. I've already had exposure. I might be able to resist it, and with my speed, I might be our best option to get in and out quickly." Before they could continue, Blue leaped out of the water and crashed onto the shore, skidding to a halt. Larmina climbed out.

"Well, I made it," she said, "but Blue is nearly out of power."

"The water's contaminated with Haggarium," Vince said. Larmina gasped. "We have to get Blue away from it."

"The Altairan spring isn't far from here," Larmina said. "It's not connected to the lake or the castle's water supply. We may be able to use the water to energize Blue."

"At least enough to form Voltron," Daniel said. "Come on, let's get to it so we can meet up with Marina and Hunk."

"I hope they're doing better than us," Vince said, heading back to Green.

* * *

"Let go!" Marina shouted.

"My controls are jammed!" Hunk shouted, yanking everything he could to try and fight it. "It's got us!"

"I'm not giving up without a fight!" Marina said through her teeth. "Use the Demolition tail and give red a good whack to the behind!"

"Not the time to be kinky, Marina," Hunk shrugged.

"Just do it!" she shouted. Yellow swung its tail, hammering Red hard, sending it out of the robeast's grip, strait at the robeast. "Ion Knife!" A blade appeared in red's mouth, and it cut through the beast, allowing red to escape. Marina turned around and sped towards Yellow, cutting him free as well.

"Nice work!" Hunk said.

"Compliments later, Garrett," she replied. She tapped her com. "Daniel, where are you?"

"We got Blue free," Daniel said. "We need to take it to the spring. We're hoping the fresh water there will let us get Blue running again."

"Well you better hurry," Marina said. "I'm not sure how much longer we can fight this thing on our own." Red dodged andother attack, then swiped with the knife again, cutting its arm off. The robeast absorbed the sludge, and the arm reformed. "No matter what we do to it, it just grows back!"

"Lead it to our coordinates," Daniel said. "If we can meet up, maybe we can take it on with additional firepower." Red and yellow fired on the robeast again and took off for Daniel's location, and the robeast skulked along, following them.

* * *

Dr. Ecron returned to med to check on Allura. He walked in just as she came around.

"I'm glad to see you are doing better," he said.

"I'm still exhausted," she replied, "but as long as the baby is fine…."

"Daniel came to check on them," he replied. "It's lucky we had some stores of fresh water to use for them. If they had drunk the contaminated water…." Allura gasped.

"Keith!" she shouted. She sat up and looked around the room. "Where is Keith?" She couldn't feel him anymore.

"He was here?" Dr. Ecron asked.

"Doctor," she said, "he drank the water! He was unconscious, and laying on the nearby bed!"

"I have not seen him," Dr. Ecron said. "But if he is awake….this can't be good at all."

* * *

The doors to the control room opened up, and a semi-conscious Keith walked in with a small crowd of castle denizens behind him. Without warning, then began to smash panels, destroying the control room piece by piece.

"To the empress of all evil…" he shouted, "….we grant our undying allegiance!" Alarms blared as the screen showing the robeast closing in on Yellow and Red suddenly sparked and powered off completely from the damage….

_To be continued…._


	21. Episode 120

_**cubbieBlueMako - **I don't believe the Voltcoms have any connection to the health and functionality of the body beyond basic neural pathways. Sven had a link to the lions, and he needed alot more than that to cure him of anything. But the question is...in the end, will this be an easy cure, or the end of him? Read on!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- __Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 120 : "Washed Away"**

"There it is," Daniel said, pointing at the spring. "Hit the manual release and drop into the water." Larmina pulled a lever, and Blue's jaws released Black's tail, dropping Blue into the spring. Black and Green landed nearby.

"Anything?" Vince asked. After a moment of silence, they watched as Blue's eyes lit up with power, and let out a roar.

"That looked promising," Daniel said.

"I have power," Larmina said, her com coming online, "but not much. It looks like there's some sort of power strain. I'm not sure if it's from the water, or the fact it hasn't had time to charge."

"The question is, can we form Voltron?" Vince asked.

"I have attitude control," she replied. "Boosters are coming online as well. If I reroute power from the weapons….I should be able to pull it off."

"Good," Daniel replied, "'cause here they come." Yellow and Red approached, the robeast in tow.

"You guys ready?" Marina asked.

"Gonna have to kick in some extra power to pull this off," Daniel said, connecting his voltcom to the console, "but forming quickly will limit how much Larmina will need to get into position. You guys ready?"

"Ready," Marina said.

"Ready here," Hunk replied.

"Whenever you are," Vince said.

"Let's do this," Larmina said.

"Let's Voltron!" Daniel shouted. He pulled and twisted the yokes, a power surge coming from his voltcom. "Flash Form, GO!" The lions quickly flew into position and locked into place, Black Lion forming the center and powering up. Voltron skidded to a halt.

"Power levels from Blue are fluctuating, but not enough to cause a problem," Vince said.

"That thing is disgusting," Larmina said.

"That thing is covered in energy draining goo," Marina said.

"We could contain it if we freeze it with the Titanic Trident," Vince said.

"Not enough power to form blue center," Larmina said, keying things into her console. "At least, not yet."

"Guys!" Pidge shouted. "I've found a way to neutralize the water!" He felt the castle shake. He brought up another monitor. "It looks like we have a bigger problem…"

"What could be bigger than a two hundred ton pile of sludge about to wreak havoc?" Vince asked.

"Haggarium-infected castle guards wrecking Castle Control," Pidge replied. "I'll try to get there to help as soon as possible….as soon as I figure out how to stop this." The com died.

"I say we try busting it up," Hunk said.

"Maybe if we can keep it separated, it can't maintain humanoid form and attack," Vince said.

"Alright, here goes," Daniel replied. "Form Yellow Center!" Voltron reconfigured, Yellow forming the head.

"Rock Wrecking maces!" Hunk shouted, and the maces formed in Voltron's hands. The robeast charged, and one by one, Voltron fired the maces into the beast, breaking huge gaps in the sludge. Hunk let out a war cry as Voltron ran at the beast and swung left and right, trying to break apart the mess of a beast. Parts of it did separate and splatter the landscape.

"It seems to be working," Marina said. "Keep it up!" Voltron took one last swing, and the robeast splattered into a hundred puddles.

"A bit messy, but sooooo busted!" Larmina cheered.

"Guys," Vince said, "you may want to take a look at this." They watched as the puddles pulled towards one another, slowly coming together again, reforming into the robeast.

* * *

Pidge was about to run out of the lab, and ran into lance and Ginger.

"Lance!" Pidge exclaimed.

"I got your distress signal," he replied. "What's going on? It's like everyone in the castle has gone crazy!"

"The castle's water supply is tainted," Pidge said. "Keith drank it, along with half of the people in the castle. They've destroyed Castle Control, and are wreaking havoc all over the castle!"

"Is there any way to stop it?" Lance asked.

"I have a serum that should not only neutralize the haggarium in the lake," he said, "but maybe also weaken the robeast Voltron is fighting."

"You take the shuttle and get that serum out there," Lance replied. "Ginge and I will try to contain the chaos. I'll try to find Keith and bring him back to the lab."

"Be careful," Pidge said, and the trio left the lab.

* * *

"It's pulling itself back together!" Marina shouted.

"That can't be good," Hunk said.

"How is Blue?" Daniel asked. "Do we have enough power to center Larmina?"

"No," Larmina replied. "It's as if Blue is actually draining Voltron of its power."

_"You don't think…." _Vince said to Daniel telepathically.

_"No time to think about that now,"_ he replied. "I have an idea. Form Black center!" Voltron reconfigured with Black once again forming the head. The robeast lunged at Voltron, trying to grab him. Green reached forward. "Wind Blast!" A gust of tornadic air fored from Green, hitting the robeast and sending it rolling backwards. Voltron turned and took off.

"What are you up to, Daniel? " Larmina asked.

"We're gonna try to contain it," he replied. "Form Blazing sword!" Red met Green and pulled apart, forming the sword. Red blandished the sword, and Green let out a mighty roar. "Follow my lead!" Voltron drove the sword into the ground and carved a circle, lifting the earth from it to create a crater. The robeast came at them, and Voltron set it down. "Ignite Lion Torches!" Voltron fired the Lion Torches at the robeast, and the heat intensified, and seemed to melt the robeast.

"It's liquefying!" Marina shouted.

"Keep it up, team!" Daniel shouted. The monster oozed into the hole. Voltron picked up the earth they carved out and slammed it on top of the crater, sealing the robeast in the ground.

"I think that did it," Marina said.

"Daniel, incoming fleet!" Vince said. They looked up to see a command ship with several fighters escorting it.

"I will not let you stop my robeast from crushing you and your precious castle!" Haggar shouted. "Fire!" The ships opened fire. Voltron leaped out of the way, and the laser blasts broke up the earth, releasing the ooze. It slowly began to reform.

"Now what do we do?" Larmina asked. "We still can't form Blue Center!"

"I've got this, guys!" Pidge shouted. The shuttle hovered above the robeast as it pulled together.

"What is that shuttle doing?" Haggar shouted. "Blast it out of the sky!" The shuttle opened its bay doors, dropping some sort of chemical onto the robeast. It began to fizzle, and even turn somewhat solid.

"The haggarium is neutralizing!" Pidge shouted. "It can't reform! You can finish it! I'm going to treat the lake!"

"Pidge, look out!" Daniel shouted. The ships opened fire on the shuttle. Pidge grabbed the controls and dodged the fire. Voltron grabbed the hilt of the Blazing Sword and swung it once, the leaped into the air and came down, splitting the remains of the robeast. Once done, it melted, then became engulfed in flames, the remains burning away to ash. Voltron turned.

"We have to protect the shuttle!" Marina shouted. Voltron took off after the command ship, but not before the command ship fired one final concentrated blast at the shuttle. The Voltron Force watched in shock and horror….as the ship exploded before their eyes.


	22. Episode 121

_**cubbieBlueMako - **It took not so much guts as it was genius. There's a lot going on, and it'll unfold from here, including after effects from the water on a certain water-based elemental mechanical lion. As for KA, they will have their ups and downs, but have moved on from Voltron's main focus. They are moving into Coran's position...mentoring and guiding the new team, especially Keith. Though you can't always gasp at things that may seem to prevent "HEA" for K and A. A lot has happened to them over the years, and tragedy can strike anyone in the universe. But preserving what they have together, especially if the tragedy resolves itself into its own HEA for the two...you gotta admit, it's something worth promoting when the writer is that heavily invested in this awesome pairing._

_**animebookchic -** Yep, the team is in some trouble, but hopefully this will bring temporary resolution, at least for the battle at hand. As for our Baltan colleague...read on._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I thought long and hard about the way this arc is coming. I was surprised by the lack of reaction to one of the original five meeting their end in blazes. But if anyone would like to try and attempt to figure out where I'm going with all this, look no further than the title. There's probably a few fans out there that will see it hidden there._

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Face Everything and Rise" by Papa Roach_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 121 : "The Impossible Baltan"**

"PIDGE!" Vince shouted as they watched the shuttle explode and disintegrate.

"Oh my gosh," Larmina shouted. "Pidge!"

"Is there anything left?" Marina asked. "Any escape pod, any sign?"

"Nothing," Vince said, lowering his head. The Command ship began to fly off, the few ships accompanying it opening fire on Voltron.

"Oh no you don't," Daniel said through gritted teeth. Voltron brandished the Blazing Sword and took off into the air. Voltron sliced through the ships easily, effortlessly destroying them. He turned towards the command ship. Vince raised his head, his eyes glowing white.

"Not this time," he said silently. Daniel knew what he was about to do, and the Green Lion, sensing what had happened to Pidge, let out a mighty roar before its head detatched, soaring at top speed at the command ship.

"Your Excellency!" the officer shouted. "One of the lion's heads is coming right at us!"

"What?" Haggar shouted, looking at the viewscreen, watching Green approaching fast. "It's the boy! I'm getting out of here!" She ran from the bridge just as Green smashed through the command ship. The ship began exploding and falling apart before them. A single escape shuttle flew off out of sight. Green's head returned and attached. The team looked on as the ship continued to explode, Vince collapsing from exhaustion.

"Pidge…." Hunk said quietly, watching the destruction with a single tear coming down his cheek.

* * *

Lance and Ginger burst into the Control room to see Keith and several of the castle guards smashing consoles.

"We have to stop them," Lance said. "They're under Haggar's spell. We need to pin them down."

"You try to stop Keith," Ginger said. "I'll try to take care of the others." They ran in, and Ginger held up her arm. Her voltcom glowed, and a miniature jet formed, firing from her wrist with a cable attached. It wrapped around the few guards in the room and tightened, pulling them together and causing them to fall to the ground. Lance ran up to Keith. He pulled him off the console, and Keith went to swing at him. They locked up.

"Keith, it's me!" he shouted. "Lance!"

"Must….destroy….the Castle Control….for the empire!" Keith replied.

"Kogane…." Lance muttered as he struggled with him, "always gotta do things the hard way." He pushed Keith back, and as Keith came at him again, his fists lit up, hitting him with a right cross that sent Keith to the ground, unconscious. He turned to see Ginger finishing off the rest of the intruders. "I guess you got things all tied up here."

"Jealous?" she laughed. "First time in a while I've tied someone up that wasn't you."

"Touche," he replied with a nod. "Long as you're ok."

"I'm fine," she replied. Lance's Voltcom went off.

"McClain here," Lance said.

"Lance," Daniel said.

"We have the situation under control," Lance replied. "Castle Control is wrecked, but we managed to subdue everyone affected. Did Pidge arrive with the antidote?" There was a moment of silence. "Daniel, did Pidge get there in time?"

"Lance," Daniel replied, "Pidge's shuttle exploded. He didn't survive."

* * *

The team assembled in the Control Room, or what was left of it, with Lance and Coran.

"They really did a number on this place," Daniel said.

"That, Daniel, is an understatement," Lance replied, trying to break the somber mood.

"What about the antidote?" Larmina asked. "What about the tainted water in the lake?"

"There was still a supply of the antidote left in stores," Lance replied. "From what Vince says, the water didn't contain a high dosage of haggarium, and those affected didn't absorb much of it. The antidote should be able to get everyone back to normal soon. Ginger is flying one of the Academy shuttles over the lake to treat it now, and everyone affected is in Med right now being treated."

"That's great to hear," Daniel said, "but what do we do now? With Pidge gone…."

"We go on, Ensign," Lance replied. You could feel the tension in the room, and through Lance's stern response, you could tell the news had hit him just as hard. "Vince and Coran, I'll need your help getting things repaired. Hunk, I'll need you to salvage any parts we need to get this done."

"Alright," Hunk replied, not appearing as his usual happy self in light of the circumstances.

"If you would allow me, Headmaster," Coran said, "we found a data disk among Pidge's belongings in secured storage. There were instructions attached to load its contents in the event of a catastrophe."

"He actually planned for this?" Daniel asked. Larmina and Vince looked at him, and he looked back, all three confused.

"Very well," Lance said. "That console there looks like it still functions. Put it in there." Coran placed the disk into the slot. In moments, the contents began to play, and a holographic image of Pidge appeared in front of them.

"To whoever is watching this," he said, "something terrible has happened, and I'm not here. In that case, there are a few things I need to say. First, to the cadets, it's been great serving with you. I always knew Voltron was in capable hands. Daniel, I'm glad you've risen to Keith's expectations. I hope you continue to do that. Larmina, you really do remind me a lot of your aunt, in more ways than you know. You will always be an exceptional Blue Lion pilot, and will become an even more exceptional woman. Vince, I can't even begin to tell you how great it was to have someone as technically-minded as me. I know you will continue to grow in your role, and I wish you the best. Marina…I haven't known you as long as the others, but you've been a great Red Lion Pilot. Keep listening to Lance, and continue to work with the team. I know you'll do great. Coran, it has been an honor knowing you, and I hope you can guide both our team and the cadets in the right direction. Lance, you were, and still are, a great pilot and a great friend. Don't let sitting behind a desk allow you to lose your edge."

"I'll never lose my edge," Lance replied, a bit teary-eyed.

"Hunk," the image continued, "big guy, you were, are, and always will be my best friend. We've been through a lot together, me and you. I don't want this to be the end, and knowing you, you have a long road ahead of you, big guy. I need you to first of all not worry about me. Wherever I am, know I'm fine. Second…I want you to look after my brother. He may claim he's older by a minute, but I've made it a habit to look after him, sending him letters and such. Keep in touch with him and make sure he's ok, alright?" The doors to the Control room opened, and Allura carefully walked in. "Allura…" She gasped. "…from the Blue Lion Pilot to the Queen of Arus, me and the team have never been prouder of you. I want you to know that. And Keith…continue to lead these guys. You know how we were when we were going through the academy. To make it as far as you have….nothing short of amazing." The image grabbed something off camera and held it up.

"What's that?" Lance asked.

"This is a program I've been working on for quite a while now," the image continued. "I'm installing it into the main and backup computer systems in the castle. Once you're done listening to me babble on, you can activate it from the Defensive Control located on the lower level of the castle. Vince will know what I'm talking about." He paused for a moment. "I don't really want this to be goodbye. You've all been like a family to me. Just know I'm still looking out for you, and you'll understand. Until then…see ya." The image faded. They all stood there stunned for a moment.

"Defensive Control?" Daniel asked.

"It's a secondary hub for Castle Control," Vince said. "Pidge and I had been working on it since the castle's bout with the Predator Robeast. He felt we needed a plan should the shields fail and the castle was compromised. The secondary hub could be activated by any of our Voltcoms, identifying us in order to give us full control of the castle defenses from that location."

"Can you take us there?" Daniel saked.

"Yeah," Vince replied. He ran from the room, the others following. Within minutes, they arrived on the lower level. Vince walked up to the door and placed his hand on a panel. His voltcom glowed, and the door responded by opening. They walked into the room and saw a near replica of the Control Room.

"This is incredible!" Daniel said.

"He built another Control Room under the castle itself," Larmina said, looking around.

"Gotta admit," Hunk said, wiping away another tear, "Little Buddy knew this castle inside and out, and he knew what he was doing."

"Vince," Lance said, "what about that program he was talking about?"

"I don't know what it is," Vince replied, "but the button he mentioned is over here." Vince walked up to it and pressed it. A flash of light enveleoped the room, then a hologram wire frame appeared in front of them, looking humanoid. As the computer continued to draw more and more detailed features on the wire frame, everyone's eyes widened at what they saw.

"Hey guys!"


	23. Episode 122

_**cubbieBlueMako - **I think this chapter the A.I. should answer your biggest question about Pidge. But there is a lot more to this arc than I'm letting on._

_**animebookchic -** #PidgeIsDead is the hashtag. Once you read this chapter, you'll understand it partly, but as I told cubbies above, there is more to this..._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I thought long and hard about the way this arc is coming. As I said, there's more to it than you know. But let's focus on the recovery it brings...the calm before the storm, if you will._

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Apocalyptic" by __Halestorm_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 122 : "Defensive Counter"**

"Pidge!" Hunk shouted. He ran to grab him, but dove right through him, falling to the floor. The hologram turned and smiled.

"I thought you might do something like that," it laughed.

"It's a hologram," Daniel said, carefully looking it over.

"Oh, I'm much more than a hologram," it replied. "I'm the Pervasivly Integrated Defensive Graphical Expert."

"Pidge," Vince said.

"Exactly!" he replied. "But while the creator was limited by the interface…" He turned and raised his hands, and all of the controls came to life before them. "…I made myself the interface. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Is it….you?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow. Hunk got up and walked around it, looking it over cautiously.

"Not really," it replied. "I mean, I programmed it with my mannerisms, but no, my 'soul' is not trapped in a computer." It laughed. "You guys have been watching too much science fiction."

"Touche," Lance said.

"That said," it continued, turning to the main screen, "it appears the fleet that was attacking has retreated, and Lieutenant Ellington has finished treating the lake. The water appears safe again."

"Hey," Daniel said, turning to the others, "what about Blue? That power drain was kind of odd. Do you think the water might have affected it?"

"My gauges were all over the place the entire fight," Larmina said.

"I'll see about performing a systems diagnostic on the Blue Lion once it's secured in the reapair bay," Pidge replied.

"In the meantime, let's go to Med," Marina said nervously. "I'm worried about Keith."

"Me too," Allura said. "Let's go to Med and see if he's come around."

"Hope he isn't too mad about the black eye," Lance snickered as they left Defensive Control.

* * *

Haggar walked slowly into the throne and kneeled down at the foot of the stairs. A menacing figure looked down from on high at her.

"Your robeast failed to defeat the Voltron of Arus again," Lord Kanji said, his voice echoing through the throne room. She glanced up only for a moment to see the stoic look on his face…one of disapproval, yet hidden somewhat.

"I did not expect the space explorers to reunite so quickly or form the mighty robot," she replied. "Please, my lord, do not think that I have underestimated them."

"You already know what I think about your attack," he replied, standing up. She felt herself tremble in fear. Haggar always had power….was always in control of the situation, especially when it came to Zarkon. But this was different. Lord Kanji was in every way her superior….and she knew it. But more importantly….he knew it.

"The castle guard has been incapacitated," she said, not looking directly at him, but maintaining her gaze on the steps in front of her. "Their control room wrecked, and their access to their lions hindered. Perhaps it would be time to strike the lairs?"

"I already feel the shifting of power," he replied. "But as you know, Arus is the least of my concerns at the moment." He stared down at her, and she could feel his gaze penetrating her. "Proceed with your plans to attack the lairs. Perhaps your effort to do so will fair better than the Predator Robeast."

"Thank you, my lord," she replied, bowing lower to honor him.

"I cannot spare more than a few dozen fighters," he continued, "as I will need the bulk of my support fleet on Naraku." Haggar became intrigued. _He is launching his assault this quickly?_ "The Drule High Council will meet, and will need to deal with the reality that it alone cannot face the threat of an Alliance attack, and that unification is the only way our people will overcome our enemies, and once again become the true conquerors of the universe our forefathers meant us to be."

"And if they refuse?" she asked, as if she didn't know the answer. He drew his blade and pointed it across the room, the blade itself catching fire as he stared at it intently.

"Have mercy on the King and General that does," he replied slowly.

* * *

Keith's eyes opened as everyone walked into the room he looked up at Allura, who was smiling at seeing her husband finally coming around. He held his head as a twinge of pain hit him.

"Ah….what happened?" he asked.

"You drank the water, oh Cranky One," Lance laughed.

"Remind me to stick to coffee," Keith replied, holding his head. "Are Alex and the baby alright?"

"They're fine," Allura replied. "But there is something you should know."

"Where's Pidge?" Keith asked. They all looked at one another. Lance looked down at the floor, then back into the eyes of his commanding officer.

"He didn't make it," Lance replied. Keith was in shock, not knowing what to say.

"He was dispensing chemicals to counteract the haggarium effects in the water," Daniel said. "Then the Drule fleet….they got to him before we could get to them. I'm sorry." Keith looked somber for a moment, then looked up at the Black Lion pilot and nodded.

"I'm sure the team did what it could," he said.

"Took out the command ship," Hunk said. "Haggar's gonna be limping from that defeat."

"Pidge did leave us with a new defense program," Vince said. "With some time, we can get things almost back to normal."

"Were there any more casualties?" Keith asked.

"No deaths," Lance said. "The injured are being tended to, and all those infected are being treated. Ginger should be returning shortly. She went to treat the lake and water supply."

"Good," Keith replied. "And what of our prisoner?"

"Kerza went to speak to her again," Daniel said. "She did clue us in about the water. She is so heavily infected, Keith. I'm not sure what, if anything, we can do for her."

* * *

Kerza stepped into the cell, the forcefield coming to life once again behind him. He crouched down where Malva laid, and she turned to look at him weakly.

"The….tainted water…." she eeked out.

"It's taken care of," he replied. "if it wasn't for you, I'm not sure if we'd had found out in time."

"The pain…" she said, "….it hurts." She looked into his eyes. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"You have something of mine," he said. He gently grasped her hand and held it up to show her the ring adorning her finger.

"Yes…" she replied. "….I found it among the prison belongings…."

"The ring means a lot to me," he said.

"Then you should take it," she insisted.

"You don't understand," he replied. "I can't understand why the enchantment placed upon the ring is doing this, but it is keeping you from succumbing to the madness the haggarium is forcing you into. But without it…." He lowered his head. "…I will once again lose my memory." She looked closer at the ring.

"Was she….that special to you?" she asked. He was taken aback by her response.

"She is gone," he replied. "She is just a memory that will fade without the ring."

"I can't let a memory that good die," she said, preparing to remove the ring.

"I can't let someone's future die either," he replied, stopping her. Upon touching the ring, and her hand, memories began to flood between the two of them. Her eyes widened as she saw the visions…things she had seen when she had first adorned the ring.

"You must take it," she replied. "Nothing can save me from this madness….not even your memories."

"I'll find a way," he replied. "We'll find a way. I don't understand why this is all happening, but it must be for a reason!" She closed her eyes, cringing from intense pain, and when her eyes opened, the purple glow appeared in them, and a sinister look appeared across her face.

"She and I are one," a strange voice undertoned her own. "If you will not allow me to destroy the memory….then I will find her and kill her myself! Then all you will have left is a memory!" She pushed him, an unseen energy throwing him across the room into the wall. He fell unconscious. She too suddenly grew weak and fell to the floor.

* * *

_It is just as I feared…the Old Ones awaken._

Blue Lion's eyes open, glowing a horribly bright purple….


	24. Episode 123

_**cubbieBlueMako - **Stick to coffee indeed. Though I assure you, the season isn't over._

_**animebookchic -** Oh, it'll get worse before it gets better._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I like how this chapter starts out a lot like a Voltron Force episode. This finale is going to be awesome!_

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 123 : "Connections – Part I"**

Keith and Allura stood on the sidelines of an outdoor training facility on the Academy grounds. They looked on as Daniel and Larmina sparred.

"Feeling any better?" Allura asked.

"Yeah," Keith replied. "I had just enough time to check in on Alexander and the baby before heading over here."

"Nanny's been a lot better since the baby came," Allura laughed.

"Even more overprotective, if you ask me," Keith replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I sneezed while holding Rory, and she took her away and shoo'd me out of the room!" Allura laughed.

"She's just being cautious," she said.

"I know," Keith replied. They watched Daniel and Larmina going at it. "The cadets are getting along well."

"They're not exactly cadets anymore," she said. Keith chuckled.

"You're right," he replied, looking on. Daniel and Larmina stared one another down. Daniel came at her, and she poised ready to defend, as he training taught her. He went to strike, and she turned to trip him with her staff, then redirect his momentum, but he countered by tumbling forward, turning and firing his claws into her staff and pulling it from her.

"Hey!" she shouted.

"You knew I'd have to beat you eventually," Daniel snickered.

"It was a fluke," she snorted.

"Try again?" he asked.

"Without weapons?" she asked. He tapped his Voltcom, and it deactivated. She did the same.

"Alright," he replied, "let's do this." They came at one another, and exchanged blows, fighting hand to hand. Keith leaned forward, watching intently.

"He's getting better," Keith remarked. As they landed a few more blows and pushed off one another, Allura suddenly slumped over, doubling over in pain and holding her head. "Allura! What's wrong?" She felt a strange sickness in her stomach, and a dull pain from her stomach to her chest, her head pounding. Larmina crouched as well, and fell to the ground.

"Larmina!" Daniel said, rushing to her aid. Keith cradled Allura in his arms.

"Allura, speak to me!" he shouted. "What's wrong? What's happening?" She weakly opened her eyes, fighting against the pain and uttered a single word.

"Blue…." She eeked out before losing consciousness.

* * *

Darkness covered Castle Doom as the planet approached its nocturnal phase. In the depths of the castle, deep within her lab, Haggar was working on her latest creation. As she was about to add a liquid to her cauldron, a Drule General entered the room.

"Your Excellency," he said, his arm across his chest with a bow of the head in reverence, "Our forces are ready to deploy. Where shall we focus our attack?"

"The Castle will still be somewhat guarded," she replied, continuing her actions, "but their forces will be scarce. I do not think we can take the Black Lion, but perhaps Red or Green would be easier targets, being furthest away from their defense grid."

"An excellent idea," he replied, bowing his head once again.

"Wait!" she shouted abruptly, her head down, staring deeply into the cauldron. "It seems we may have another option."

"What is it?" he asked. She smiled as she stared into the cauldron.

"It appears that the tainted water of Lake Arus has had a surprising effect," she replied. "I want you to carry out plans as ordered. Lord Kanji would have us take out the furthest lion…the Red one. But in doing so, it will of course lure the others. But the advantage would be ours!"

"I don't understand," he replied.

"You will in time, General," she cackled. "And the Voltron Force won't realize it until it is too late!" She continued cackling, Cova letting out a screeching meow in agreement.

* * *

"She's coming around," Doctor Ecron said as Allura's eyes fluttered.

"Allura," Keith said, looking into her opening blue eyes, "are you alright?"

"I'm not sure…" she said, still feeling woozy. "Something is wrong….with Blue."

"Blue Lion?" Daniel asked, turning away from an unconscious Larmina for a moment. "How can it affect her?"

"Whether you want to admit it or not," Allura said, looking directly into Keith's eyes as to say '_See?'_, "the lions bond with their pilots. They share a connection. And right now, something is happening to Blue. It's affecting me….and Larmina."

"So you and her are connected to Blue Lion," Daniel said. "Could all this have something to do with the contaminated water?"

"Blue Lion was in contact with it?" Allura asked.

"Flooded with it," Daniel said. "Lake Arus surrounds the den." Keith activated his communicator.

"Vince," he said.

"Yes, Keith," Vince replied, "what's up?"

"I need to you have Blue Lion brought into the repair bay," he said. "We need to run a diagnostic and find out if Blue has been contaminated."

"I'm on it," he replied. The communication ended.

"Even if we find it's contaminated," Keith said, "I'm not even sure how or if we can contain it."

"We still have the solution Pidge developed," Daniel said, "and we have Vince. Maybe he can do something."

"Let's hope," Keith said. Larmina began to stir.

"What….what happened?" she asked, trying to sit up.

"How are you feeling?" Daniel asked.

"Sick to my stomach," she replied. "I don't understand…"

"Your aunt thinks there's something wrong with the Blue Lion," he replied. "And it's affecting you and her through your bond with the lion."

"Huh?" she asked.

"Vince is bringing Blue Lion in to check it out," Daniel replied. "Let's hope whatever it is, it wasn't serious."

* * *

Kerza began to stir. As he awoke in the cell, his eyes opened to see Malva sitting across the room on the floor, her knees against her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them.

"I'm a monster," she said softly.

"I wouldn't say that," Kerza replied. As he got up, he realized his memories were still intact. His proximity to Malva and the ring proved to stave off his impending amnesia. "Haggar spoke through you. She may even be hearing the words I speak to you at this very moment." Malva closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Her focus isn't on me at the moment," Malva admitted. "But you're right, if she wants to, she can hear and see through my eyes. All the more reason for me to give the ring back to you."

"Your death will not help matters," he protested.

"She's already seen your memories," she replied. "The woman you spoke of….she implanted the memories in it. I have already seen her hard at work trying to find her." She closed her eyes again. "You were more than just a prisoner to Haggar. She believes you are a bargaining chip for her….granddaughter?"

"If you have seen the memories," he said, "then you know I'm not from this universe. I was drawn here. I shouldn't even exist." She placed a hand over her mouth in shock and gasped. "It is why even though Haggar was able to manipulate you into physically trying to harm me, she cannot cast even one spell on me. Her magic will not work on me. That alone makes me a threat to her."

"All the more reason to give you the ring," she said. "Without it, you will forget it all. And me….there's no hope for me. As long as I contain Haggar's essence…."

"We'll find a way," he replied adamantly. "There's a reason you're here, wearing this ring, and still alive, I know it! We just need to…." The castle alarms began to blare. "What's happening?" She closed her eyes once again.

"The lair of the Red Lion," Malva said. "She's sent a force of ships to try to destroy it!" He gasped and ran out of the cell, the field resuming after passing through it. She sat there in silence, contemplating what it all means.

_To be continued…._


	25. Episode 124

_**cubbieBlueMako - **The bond is real. Keith sometimes brushes it off, and most of the others don't think about it, but it is going to be integral in regaining control..._

_**animebookchic -** It's not all sunshine and daisies, but it's not always disaster either. Remember...season wrap-up!_

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- I like how this chapter starts out a lot like a Voltron Force episode. This finale is going to be awesome!_

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_None_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 124 : "Connections – Part II"**

Kerza ran into Defensive Control as the others arrived.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked. The Pidge hologram appeared.

"Haggar's forces are attacking again," he said.

"This soon?" Daniel asked.

"What's worse is that they've focused their attack on a single target," Pidge said.

"Where?" Larmina asked.

"The mountain volcano," he replied, "the lair of the Red Lion." Marina gasped.

"Red's a sitting duck!" she shouted. "We have to stop them!"

"Is the transport to Red's Lair still active?" Daniel asked.

"I haven't detected any damage as of yet," he replied. "It could be risky."

"That's a chance I gotta take!" Marina shouted, putting red's key in her voltcom and rushing through the launch door.

"Everyone else, get to your lions and meet up at the volcano," Daniel said.

"What about the diagnostics we're running on Blue?" Vince asked.

"It's going to have to wait," Daniel said. "We have to stop Haggar. To the lions!" They each ran through their respective doors, grabbing the trapeze and riding it to the lower level. They dropped into their shuttles which took off through the tunnels to each of the lairs. The seats rose into the lions, locking in place in the cockpits. Each of the lions powered on with a mighty roar, and took off.

"Let's see what we can do," Larmina said as Blue powered on and got ready to take off. She didn't notice the ominous glow far behind her as the engines themselves began to emanate dark energy.

* * *

Marina's seat locked into place, and she gripped the controls tightly. Her voltcom glowed as the engines fired up, the molten lava from the volcano venting from the systems.

"I'll teach you to mess with our den," she muttered as Red took off, making a beeline for the attacking ships. She carefully avoided falling rocks, and managed to smack one out of the way with Red's paw.

"Focus fire on the lion!" the General ordered as the command ship moved into position. The smaller drones began to swarm Red, firing repeatedly on it. A direct hit sent it into a spin.

"Come on," Marian said, trying to adjust, "hold it together."Red came out of the spin and swooped back up, firing a round of stingray missiles at the command ship. The ship opened fire and eliminated the missiles before they could hit the ship.

"Release the robeast!" the General ordered. "I want this lair ground to dust!" The cargo bay doors opened, and a robeast coffin dropped to the volcano floor. It opened, and a monster made of solid rock and metal emerged. The command ship fired a beam which caused the beast to grow exponentially in size until it dwarfed the Red Lion.

"Guys!" Marina shouted. "They just let loose a robeast!"

"We're on our way!" Daniel shouted. "Hang in there!" The beast tried to stomp Red, but Marina was quick, and Red leaped out of the way before being stomped by its humongous foot.

"Let's see you dodge this!" Marina shouted as she pressed one of the buttons. Red let loose with a few shots from its tail. The robeast held up its hands, easily blocking the shots. It swung a fist at Red, and marina moved out of the way barely in time.

"Squash that lion, and destroy the den!" the General ordered again.

"Remember, General," Haggar's voice came from the com, her image appearing on the viewscreen for a moment, "you are to take out the den at all costs! The Red Lion is of no concern to me! But if Blue should happen by…then will be the time to strike!"

"Yes, your Excellency," he replied, bowing his head momentarily.

"I've gotta find this thing's weakness," Marina said, dodging another swing. Red flew up quickly, going for its neck. It sank its jaws in, and the robeast staggered backwards. It grabbed red and threw it a distance, sending it into the volcano wall and falling to the floor. Marina moaned, trying to recover from the shock of the crash. As the robeast closed in, several shadows cast down on it from overhead.

"Take it down!" Daniel ordered. "Do whatever it takes to get it away from Marina!" The lions flew at the robeast and latched on as it turned around. Marina shook her head and grabbed the controls.

"You alright?" Larmina asked.

"Yeah," Marian replied as Red slowly stood up. "Minor damage. I'm fine." The robeast swung, sending Green and yellow flying off. Black and Blue let go to avoid its swinging arms.

"We still have to deal with the fleet overhead," Daniel said. "Marina, follow up into formation. We're going to come at the command ship with everything we got, then come back with Flash Form. You guys ready?"

"Ready," Vince said.

"I'm ready," Larmina said.

"Ready to go," Hunk said.

"Let's do this," Marina said. The Lions dodged another attack and took off towards the command ship.

"You Excellency," the General said, "the lions are all here, and making a beeline for the ship!"

"It's time to put our plan into action," Haggar said. She closed her eyes and focused. "Ancient spirits, ones of old, tear the lion from its fold!" Blue Lion veered away, turned and struck Red, sending it spiraling away.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know!" Larmina shouted, desperately pulling the controls. "I didn't do it!"

"The lion can't just move itself," Daniel said as he took off to catch Red, grabbing its paw in its jaws and lowering it to the ground. The ship continued to fire on them, and Daniel tried to cover.

"You don't think…." Vince started to say. Blue's eyes glowed purple, and it let out a sinister roar. "Oh no…." Blue flew at Green, but Vince managed to avoid the charge.

"It won't respond!" Larmina said. She suddenly felt weak.

_"That's right kitty," _a voice echoed in her head, _"You're under MY control! Destroy your leader, and take control of your pride!"_

"Larmina?" Daniel shouted, but she became unresponsive. Blue flew full speed at Black, arming all of its weapons. "Larmina!"

* * *

Allura and Keith came into the Defensive Control where Coran and Kerza monitored the fight.

"What's the situation?" Keith asked.

"The team was able to make it there with the Lions," Coran said, "but they are facing another one of Haggar's robeasts."

"Red Lion seems to have taken a beating," the Pidge hologram said, "but it's systems are still at full power. With any luck, they should be able to form Voltron."

"I'm going to alert Lance at the Academy," Keith said. "Maybe he can have some of his experienced students keep the command ship and its fleet busy with some Alliance Drone Ships." Just then, Allura fell to the floor, feint. Keith caught her, and lowered her to the ground, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she began to sieze. "Allura!"

"She…..shall…..take control…..of her pride…" she eeked out before she collapsed.

_To be continued….._


	26. Episode 125

_**KathDMD - **We are coming up on the end. Though I admit some things may not be resolved by the end of the season._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- Apologies for the late post._

_Without my muse, I am nothing...and she's gone._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Invincible" by Kelly Clarkson_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 125 : "Connections – Part III"**

"Kerza," Keith said, scooping Allura into his arms, "see if you can get in touch with the Academy. I have to get Allura to Med."

"Yes, Admiral," he replied, continuing to monitor the battle, while opening another holo-screen to make the communication.

"Coran," Keith said, "See if you can get any of them on the com. I want to know if anything is happening to the Blue Lion. If there's a connection, I want to know what it is." He walked out of the Defensive Control, carrying an unconscious Allura. Pidge appeared in the room.

"I just did a long range scan of Blue Lion," he said. "I'm detecting a strange energy signature that matches up with the haggarium tainted water."

"Then the Blue Lion WAS infected," Coran said. "What can we do?"

"I'm unable to calculate a viable solution," Pidge replied. "If we can get the Blue Lion back here and under control, maybe we could analyze the infection and come up with a remedy."

"Easier said than done," Kerza said.

* * *

Keith brought Allura quickly into Med and laid her on one of the available beds.

"Has something happened?" Dr. Ecron said as he rushed into the room as well.

"Something's happened to Blue Lion," Keith replied, "and I think it's affecting Allura."

"I'll do my best to care for her," Ecron said.

"I need to get back to Defensive Control," Keith said. He raised his voltcom to his lips. "Patch me through to Planet Pollux."

* * *

Daniel braced for impact, gripping the controls tightly, his eyes closed. He head a bang and opened his eyes in time to see Red Lion knock Blue out of the way.

"Now we're even!" Marina shouted. "Larmina, are you alright?" There was no response.

"Something has control of the Blue Lion," Daniel said.

"It's the haggarium," Vince replied.

"Guys," Hunk said, "here comes the robeast!" The lions scattered, narrowly missing a swing from the robeast.

"Without Blue, we can't form Voltron!" Marina said.

"That's exactly what Haggar had in mind," Daniel replied, dodging another attack. "You guys keep the robeast busy. I've got a plan."

"Wait," Vince said, "it isn't something insanely dangerous and completely stupid, is it?" Daniel laughed.

"You expect anything less?" Daniel said as Black Lion took off towards Blue.

"Alright," Hunk said, "let's see if putting a little muscle into it will stop this thing." Yellow flew at the robeast and swung its tail at the robeast. It struck it, but the robeast grabbed it by the tail and flung it away.

"Hunk!" Marina shouted.

"We can't defeat it on our own," Vince said. "But we might be able to buy some time. We need to draw it back into the volcano." Red and green fired at the robeast, then took off towards the Volcano.

"Stop them!" the General shouted. "Don't let them get away!"

"Don't be a food, General!" Haggar shouted over the com. "Voltron is incapacitated! Destroy the lair! Focus all fire and destroy it!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!" he replied. The command ship and what was left of the fleet opened fire on the Volcano.

"What are they doing?" Marina asked, avoiding the fire and the robeast.

"They're trying to destroy the lair!" Vince replied.

"I hope this plan works," Marina said. "We need to get this robeast grounded so we can stop those ships."

"Hang on, Mina," Daniel said, Black Lion coming at Blue. "Hope you can handle evasion." He hit the auto-pilot, and got out of his seat. He ran to the back of the cockpit, and dropped through the opening below. Black flew over Blue as it recovered, and Daniel climbed out onto one of Black's paws. "Here goes…..yolo." He leaped from Black, and landed on the back of Blue, clinging with the claws that appeared from his voltcom. He pulled his way to the hatch and climbed in. Blue Lion halted its pursuit of Black and began to thrash wildly. Daniel made his way to the cockpit.

"Larmina!" he shouted. He made his way to her and tried to shake her. "Larmina, wake up!" She moaned, but was not waking. He tried to pull her from the seat and grab the controls, but when he did, he received a shock. He stared at the controls for a moment, a determined look on his face. "I have to regain control." He grabbed the controls and held on for dear life. He screamed in pain as he pulled the controls.

_No! Get away! She is mine now! She rules her pride, not you! She will eliminate the weak to make way for the strong! The power of water will consume all of Arus!_

"Haggar?" he shouted. "I won't let you take her!" He pulled hard, and the lion let out a defiant roar. It came crashing to the ground, rolling end over end several times before coming to a stop.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" the Princess of Pollux pleaded with her husband. "You know what happened the last time you came into contact with…."

"It will be alright, _min kone_," he replied.

"But, your headaches," she said. "They are getting worse."

"There is a reason for it," Sven replied. "Once I return, I'll explain. But I must hurry! If I don't go now, your cousin and her niece might suffer the same fate." Romelle gasped. "If the Blue Lion's spirit dies….so will we." He left the room, heading for the hangar. Romelle fell to her knees. Erik came up to her from behind and wrapped his arms around his mother.

"Don't worry, mama," he said. "Papa will return. I know he will."

* * *

Malva sat in the darkness, knowing full well the battle that raged above. Just then, her head began to pound, and a familiar voice filled her mind.

_My apprentice….arise and break free of your bonds…..destroy the castle….stop our enemies!_

She fought with all her will, but the haggarium was too much. Her eyes glowed purple, and she let out a blood curdling scream.

"I….CAN'T….FIGHT IT!" she shouted as she raised her arms, pointing them at her cell door. Searing flames blasted the rock and metal around the doorway, blasting the rocks apart. She began to laugh maniacally as the wall began to explode. But just as the destruction began, a glow of light shone nearby, and the stones came back together just as quickly as they had exploded.

"Malva…." A voice spoke quietly. She turned her head left, then right quickly, seemingly paranoid.

"Who's there?" she asked.

_Nothing's there! Destroy the doorway!_

"Do not let Haggar corrupt your thoughts!" the voice shouted.

"I can't….control it…." Malva said.

"Your destiny is not in the service of the Old Ones," the voice said. "Your destiny lies in the hands of fate itself."

_Go away! You have interfered with me for the last time! Betrayer!_

"Haggar betrayed all of Arus the day she turned on me," the voice said. "She will not lead you down the dark path….I will not let her."

_I've warned you, Alfor! Stay away from my apprentice!_

"She does not belong to you," Alfor replied. "She belongs to the Defender."

_To be continued…._


	27. Episode 126

_**KathDMD - **There is a lot that will remain unresolved going into the next season, but this finale will not disappoint! Haggar has her hands full, if you've already read the Voltron Legacy Finale, which is happening concurrently to this. There was one thing I wasn't able to work in...but it will have to wait for the Season 2 premier!_

_**cubbieBlueMako - **You know Keith will always be there for his princess._

_**animebookchic - **Malva is going to play an important part in the Season transition. It's oddly going to connect with what's going on in the Gladiator Voltron universe..._

* * *

_**Author's Note** \- Welcome to the Lion Force finale! I hope you KA fans are prepared for one heck of a battle!_

_Without my muse, I am nothing._

**_Theme__ Music : _**_"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten_

* * *

_**Disclaimer - **Voltron and all associated characters are the property of WEP. Space Marshall Lenora Hawkins and associated characters are the property of KathDMD. Admiral Lysette Fabrere and associated characters are the property of selena devargo._

* * *

**Episode 126 : "Connections – Part IV"**

Black lion landed near the crash site. Daniel pulled Larmina out of her harness and carried her out of the cockpit. Blue began to stir and get back to her feet. Daniel activated his voltcom and dashed out of the lion before it could continue its rampage. It toned to go after them, but then it was tackled by something. Daniel stopped and turned around in time to see the White Lion pinning Blue down, seeing it struggling intently.

"Sven!" Daniel shouted. Sven fought hard with the controls, the pain in his own head intensifying this close to the source of his calamity.

"Get young Larmina back to the castle," he said. "I'm going to try and tame this lion."

"Right," Daniel nodded. He picked Larmina back up and sped back to Black Lion. He took off with her inside, headed for the castle. Sven concentrated on the lion, but Blue soon overpowered him, and the White Lion was flung off. White got back on its feet and poised to attack. Blue stood to challenge.

"I know what's going on inside, old friend," he said. "Soon we will fight together!" The lions ran at one another and collided, swinging at one another, trying to knock the other down and topple it to the ground. "You have done well. Now I have to save our old friend." He got up from the seat and left the lion. As White swung, he leaped for Blue. He managed to fall within the jaws and climb into the cockpit.

_No! Get away! She is not yours to command!_

Sven strapped into the seat, and tried to grab the controls, but was badly jolted by a surge of power. He closed his eyes, placing his hands together and focusing.

"I know you are here, old witch," he muttered. "You have plagued me and my family for the last time!"

_Leave now, and I spare your princess, and maybe even your precious 'elskede'. Stay, and I will command the Blue Lion to annihilate Arus with the full might of Voltron!_

"You will never fool me again, Haggar!" he shouted. His focus was complete, the training he had put himself through all those years every bit as much a match for her magic. He grabbed the controls, eyes still closed tightly, and took off into the sky, the lion letting off a mighty roar….of approval.

* * *

"Lead it over there!" Vince said. The robeast followed them into the volcano. Red and Green carefully avoided falling debris from the attack above.

"If we don't hurry, the whole mountain will collapse into the volcano," Marina said. "And without its den, Red won't have a proper place to recharge." They turned as they reached the main cavern.

"Alright," Vince said, "Scoop up some of that lava. See if you can get it around his feet." Red dove quickly at the magma flow and scooped up some lava in its mouth. It turned and flew at the robeast.

"How about a little hot foot!" she shouted and Red blasted the magma at the robeast's feet.

"Now let's see if I can cool things down a bit," Vince said. A whirlwind flew from Green's mouth, blasting the magma and cooling it to the point it hardened around its feet, holding it in place.

"It worked!" Marina shouted. "Now to stop those attack ships." Red looked up at the ships and saw laser fire. "Huh?"

"Down but not out," Hunk said. "You didn't think I was gonna let these guys ruin our lil' sis' lair, did ya?"

"Hunk!" Marina shouted. Behind him, Blue Lion came up and latched on to one of the bigger ships, tearing it apart with its jaws. "Larmina?"

"Not quite," Sven said, trying to maintain concentration, Haggar bombarding him with negative energy.

"Your Excellency!" the General shouted over the com. "The Blue Lion is destroying our ships!" Haggar appeared on the screen deep in thought.

"Destroy….the lair….at all costs!" she screeched before the transmission abruptly ended.

"Haggar's ships are going to destroy the lair if we don't do something!" Sven shouted.

"The command ship is on a collision course!" Vince shouted. "We have to stop it!" Blue flew at it, its Ion Knife forming in its jaws. It cut through the hull, trying to damage the engines enough to force it to veer off course.

"Hang on guys!" Daniel shouted and Black flew into range. "Get into formation!" The lions took off, Blue scurrying into place. "Let's Voltron!" He connected his voltcom to the console, and energy flowed between the two. The lione transformed in mere seconds, locking on, Voltron's head forming, eyes glowing, and powered up for battle.

"The ship!" Marina shouted. Voltron flew at the ship and literally caught it, holding it back moments from impact.

"Oh….no….you…..don't!" Daniel shouted, straining against the controls. Voltron redirected the ship, literally throwing it at the robeast, exploding on impact. "Form Blazing Sword!" Red and Green clanked together and pulled apart, the energy forming the blade, and Green let out a mightly roar as Voltron brandished the sword.

"I don't….know….how much longer….I can hold it…" Sven shouted.

"I got ya," Vince said, connecting his voltcom. He closed his eyes for a moment to focus, then opened them, whiting out with power.

"Go!" Daniel shouted, jamming the controls forward hard. Voltron dove down towards the robeast, or what was left of it, trying to get up, then swung, slicing several times through it, then skidding to a stop on the other side on its feet. The parts of the robeast fell and exploded.

"That's the end of the robeast," Hunk said.

"And it looks like the fleet is finally retreating," Marina said. Vince collapsed from exhaustion.

"We need to get the Blue Lion back to the castle," Sven said. "Until we can figure out how to rid it of the corruption, none of us will be safe." Voltron took off from the lair, heading for the castle.

* * *

The team stood together in the repair bay with Keith, Kerza, and the holographic Pidge. They looked over the Lions as Keith let out a sigh.

"Is there anything we can do?" he asked. "What about the antidote you placed in the castle's water supply?"

"We're not sure that would work on this scale," Pidge replied. "Blue received a dose higher than the concentration diffused in the water. It's almost as if Haggar had deliberately targeted Blue."

"Because she did," Keith said, his brow furrowing in anger. "That was her plan all along."

"What about a stronger dosage of the antidote?" Vince asked. "With a stronger concentration…."

"It could possibly fry the systems," Pidge replied. "The technology of the Lions is still not fully understood. We have to proceed with caution."

"The problem is," Sven said, "if we don't cure the Blue Lion soon, Allura, Larmina, and myself could meet our end."

* * *

The members of the Drule High Council looked at one another in confusion. The meeting had been called without much advanced notice, the seats of the Second, Fourth, and Seventh kingdoms notably absent, with Korronith's seat taken up by the Witch Haggar. Seemingly lost in thought, as if her attention were divided, she sat quietly, yet eerily.

"Does anyone know what this is about?" King Dharlok of the Tenth kingdom asked.

"I see no sign of Skath or Merla," King Bhorn remarked. "I'm not liking this one bit."

"What you like or don't like does not concern me," Kanji said as he walked into the room. The remaining council members sat down. Kanji turned and stared directly at Bhorn, who was trying to avoid eye contact.

"Lord Kanji," Queen Larinska asked, "you called us here on short notice. While we are honored by your presence, we wish to know the reason for the urgency."

"My reason is simple," he replied, still fixated on Bhorn. "I have sat back and watched the Voltron Force stretch themselves thin across the galaxy. I have also watched the Galaxy Alliance defeat us at every juncture."

"Lord Kanji," Larinska spoke again, "many of the kingdoms have chosen to stay out of Korronith's war with the Galaxy Alliance."

"And it is that unwilling spirit that condemns the entire empire to death!" kanji shouted, slamming his hand on the table, Bhorn's chalice spilling on the table in front of him. The blood red liquid rolled down the table and trickled over the side. "I told you one way or another, the Kingdoms of the Supremacy would unify. And that is exactly what I will do."

"And if we refuse?" Lord Vyrketh of the Eighth Kingdom asked. Kanji walked up to him and pulled his sword. He stabbed it through the table in front of him, the blade exiting the table between his legs, inches from his manhood.

"You have no choice," Kanji replied, gritting his teeth. "Blood has already been spilled in this war." He pulled the sword out and resheathed it. "Our bretheren across the galaxies….throughout the universe….have shed their blood and given their lives for us! Now it is time we joined together in unity to take what is rightfully ours and crush our enemies for the glory of the Drule Empire!" Haggar stood up. She stepped back and he raised his hands. "Every Drule in every corner of the universe will hear my call….and they shall call me…..MASTER!" He dropped his arms, and an uncontrollable wave blasted over them, their minds being cleared of all thought….except that of unquestioned fealty to Lord Kanji.

* * *

"Let her go, Haggar," Alfor commanded. "It's over."

_It's never over! The dark forces shall never succumb to the light! The Old Ones will rise again, and the ghosts of yesterday shall be struck down by their sworn enemies!_

"Your attention is divided!" Alfor insisted. "Begone! Leave this child to her fate!"

"My fate….is sealed…." Malva eeked out, Haggar's voice undertoning her own. All at once, she collapsed to the floor. Alfor looked up, his eyes dilating. His spirit vanished in the blink of an eye as a wave washed over all of Arus…and time itself came to a halt.


End file.
